On Sunday it was reported that 40 patients managed to escape from Mathari Mental Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. The Associated Press reported that about 70 male patients overpowered guards at the hospital and 40 got away.

Nine of the patients have been brought back to the facility by parents and guardians which leaves the current total of missing patients at 31 according to hospital medical superintendent Dr. Kisivuli Azenga.

The doctor said one of the patients incited the others after the attendants delayed distributing the medicine to the patients. He deemed the missing patients as not a "danger to society," but it is vital that they are brought back to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.

Mental health care in Kenya suffers from a lack of funding and factors such as poverty, a lack of access, and the stigma associated with mental disorders which prevents many patients from getting good assistance, according to the Associated Press.

According to The Inquisitr, following the escape hospital officials immediately contacted the local police about the missing patients and provided them with photos of each of them.

"An escape of this size is highly unusual, no matter where you are in the world, and local law enforcement will surely investigate the matter much further once the rest of the patients are returned to the hospital safely."

According to BBC, Divisional Police chief Samuel Anampiu, said that the escape seemed to have been well-planned.

"They must have strategized. It is not possible that, without proper planning, 75 people can break two doors and more than half of them run away."

Azenga said that the escape was unusual because such a large number of patients were involved. In the past there have been previous escape attempts however only two to three patients were actually successful.