Nakuru hospital detains baby over unpaid bill

When Mrs Olivia Osidiana was told that she had delivered her second baby boy, she was delighted.

Like any mother, Mrs Osidiana, 33 had been looking forward to the final day of her pregnancy. Little did she know that this would be a beginning of her nightmare.
Her baby has been detained in hospital since. And the infant is not sick.

She must make daily trips to Nakuru War Memorial Hospital from her house in Racecourse Estate to attend to her three-month old son.

At the hospital, one would be forgiven for thinking that Mrs Osidiana is a regular patient as she cuddles her son next to the nurses’ office. Unknown to many, she is under constant surveillance.

Mother and baby are near the window where nurses can monitor their movements.

As the bill, which was Sh533,000 when the baby was discharged on January 16, continues to grow by Sh1,500 every day, Mrs Osidiana has also to buy milk formula, diapers and other infant needs.

“My breast-milk production was affected by what I am going through and I have to buy milk formula,” she said.

A can of formula costs Sh1,000 and lasts for only three days.

COMPLICATED

The bill is set to hit the roof when the baby is transferred from the nursery to the general ward because the young family will be paying Sh3,000 per day.

The situation could become more complicated then because the weak baby will be with sick children, not to mention the many visitors.

The customer care assistant at Nakuru Rural Water and Sewerage Company delivered her son through Caesarean section at a small private hospital.

However, she was informed that the baby had breathing problems and the hospital did not have an intensive care unit.

“The doctors advised me to take the baby to Nakuru War Memorial Hospital,” Mrs Osidiana said.

Three days later, she was allowed to join the baby.

Later, Mrs Osidiana sighed with relief when she was informed that her son was out of danger and would be allowed to go home. However, she would have to clear the bill first.

“I offered them a friend’s title deed as security but one of the employees told me the hospital had enough of them,” she said, adding that her husband was jobless and her monthly net pay was Sh10,000.

Mrs Osidiana wakes up early and prepares packed lunch and porridge. She boards a matatu before walking another half a kilometre from the town centre to the hospital.
Worse still, her maternity leave ends mid this month.

The hospital’s matron, Priscilla Musila, insists that Mrs Osidiana must clear her bill.

“We cannot take title deeds because we have more than 50. She will have no other option but to pay,” the matron said.