Brian’s family appeals for help clearing Sh11M bill before burial

A portrait of the late Brian Kimani, 13, who died from cancer of the blood (Leukemia) at Gertrude’s Hospital in Nairobi. [David Njaaga/Standard]

A city hospital has agreed to release the body of a 13-year-old boy that had been detained over Sh17 million hospital bill.

Brian Kimani’s parents, Stephen Njoroge and MaryAnn, on Wednesday, held a funeral service for their son at their local church in Gatuikira, Ndenderu, Kiambu County.

Yesterday, the family appealed to well-wishers to help raise an outstanding bill of Sh11,895,000.

Earlier, at a meeting that went on for nearly three hours, Brian’s family and members of the committee tasked with fundraising for his treatment met with Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital board to resolve the stalemate.

Finally, the two parties made some headway. The board waived Sh1.5 million out of the total bill and agreed to release Brian’s body to the family, but noted that the family had to clear the outstanding bill of Sh11,895,000.

“We have had fruitful discussions and are in agreement of how the funds can be settled,” said Baraka Kerich, the chief financial officer, reading a statement on behalf of the hospital.

But Kerich declined to divulge further information, noting, “The hospital policy is that we do not discuss the details of patients in public due to the professional and patient confidentiality requirements. It would be unethical for us to do so.”

Kerich also clarified that Gertrude’s does not detain bodies in lieu of payment.

But while the hospital released Brian’s body, his family insisted that they could not lay him to rest until they settle the bill.

The family is worried that they will have to shoulder the burden of the bill for the rest of their lives despite losing their first-born son.