In Nakuru County, a 21-year-old woman found herself in a dire situation when she was unable to settle a medical bill of Sh23,000 after receiving treatment at the Nakuru Level 5 Teaching and Referral Hospital. Ms. Mary Wangui, the young mother, had been admitted to the hospital on March 11 for a surgical procedure.
Her circumstance was compounded by the fact that she had to bring her nine-month-old child along as there was no one else to care for the infant at home. Despite efforts to accommodate her situation, including her daughter being temporarily taken home by her father, Ms. Wangui found herself unable to meet the financial demands of the medical care she received.
Following a successful surgery, Ms. Wangui faced a daunting bill that her family simply could not afford. Despite attempts to seek financial aid from friends and relatives, they were unable to gather the necessary funds. This left Ms. Wangui with a heartbreaking decision – to leave her child at the hospital and flee in the hopes of finding a solution.
With a heavy heart, she departed early one morning, aided by friends, leaving her husband bewildered and distressed at her sudden disappearance. In an interview with Taifa Leo, Ms. Wangui revealed that her plea to hospital social workers for assistance in reducing or waiving the bill had been unsuccessful, further exacerbating their financial strain.
The family’s financial woes extended beyond the medical bill, as they also faced difficulty in paying rent, with her husband’s income from selling bananas dwindling. Ultimately, the child was placed in a children’s home until the bill could be settled, adding to the family’s anguish.
Authorities were alerted to the situation, and Dr. James Waweru, the hospital administrator, assured that appropriate measures had been taken to ensure the child’s welfare. The case was subsequently handed over to the relevant child welfare department for further action.
This poignant incident sheds light on the challenges faced by many families in accessing adequate healthcare and underscores the importance of support systems and social safety nets in ensuring the well-being of vulnerable individuals.
