City hospital detains farmer over Sh2.3m bill

Shadrack Ireri Kinyua. He has been detained in a city hospital for failing to settle Sh2.3 million bill.

A peasant farmer has been detained by a private hospital in Nairobi over Sh2.3 million bill.

Shadrack Ireri Kinyua is grateful doctors at Nairobi West Hospital saved his life after surgery to remove a tumour in his head. However, he is worried about the bill which is increasing by Sh6,000 per day.

A headache morphed into a migraine and Kinyua's case was complicated by the doctors' strike.

The family says it has sunk deeper into debt in its efforts to save Kinyua who collapsed in mid December last year in his house.

His nephew Pheneas Gitonga says they first took him to Kijabe Mission Hospital but the doctor referred him to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

It was at KNH that a Dr Kanja established he had a tumour, but could not be booked for surgery as doctors were on strike. He advised them to take him to Nairobi West Hospital. The family struggled to raise Sh150,000 required as deposit before admission.

The hospital has detained him until the bill is cleared. The family is now appealing to well-wishers to help raise the money. Donations can be sent to M-Pesa pay bill number 558804 or Co-operative Bank Account number 01109587248400.