Senator Kangata to fundraise for family with Sh1.4m hospital bill
What you need to know:
He appealed to the hospital’s management to consider waiving the bill, saying it’s proprietor hails from the same county as Mr Muraya
Murang’a Senator Irungu Kangata has promised a donation of Sh100,000 to help the family of Mr Phillip Muraya offset Sh1.4 million medical bill.
Mr Muraya passed away on April 7 after being admitted to Nairobi Women’s Hospital on March 15 due to complications caused by a head injury he suffered in a motorcycle accident on February 24.
AGONY
On Friday, the Nation carried his story detailing how his family tried in vain to convince the facility to refer him to another hospital and the agony they went through as his condition deteriorated, leading to his death.
The hospital has detained his body pending payment of the bill, which the family is currently unable to settle due to financial constraints.
Senator Kangata said he would mobilise other well-wishers to contribute funds towards the payment of the bill.
“I am asking other stakeholders to chip in. On Monday, I will organise a meeting of area MCAs and MP to discuss how we can organise a fundraiser,” he said in a text message sent to the Nation.
He appealed to the hospital’s management to consider waiving the bill, saying it’s proprietor hails from the same county as Mr Muraya.
“I also urge the hospital management to consider waiving the debt. The principal proprietor of the hospital is from Murang’a,” said the senator.
He appreciated the contribution made by the private hospital in the provision of quality medical services but asked it to consider reducing the bill. He at the same time urged counties to upgrade their treatment facilities to reduce incidences of citizens being forced to seek for treatment in expensive private facilities.
“This will be one way of safeguarding patients from catastrophic medical expenditure, which sometimes forces them into poverty,” he said.
Approximately 25 per cent of Kenyans are covered by public and private insurance schemes, leaving three out of four Kenyans 44.6 million without any form of financial backup apart from personal or out of pocket cash reserves in case of illness.
