Mourning family blames striking doctors and State for son's death

As people celebrated Christmas, the family of John Ogutu were struggling to raise money for medical expenses in Nakuru for their son who died as a result of the doctors’ strike.

“If the doctors never went on strike, my son would have recovered and would be alive today. I blame doctors and the Government for the death of my son,” said Mr Ogutu, during an interview with The Standard.

Ogutu recalled how he struggled to transfer his 15-year-old son from Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital where he was initially admitted to a private facility, after he was left unattended following the doctors’ strike.

It all started after his son Alex Ogutu fell from a mango tree at their home in Kasipul Kabondo, Homa Bay County.

The father said it was the same week his son sat his his KCPE exam at Gangri Primary School.

Alex suffered multiple fractures on his left hand after he fell from the mango tree.

“We also realised his chest was badly injured because he was breathing with a lot of difficulty and rushed him to Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital where was put on oxygen in ICU,” says Ogutu.

Alex had started responding to treatment after 20 days at the hospital when doctors and nurses began their strike.

GREATEST FEAR

“I cried seeing my son struggle alone on a machine in the ICU after doctors abandoned him,” he said, adding that doctors told him they were planning to switch off the machine and that he should consider transferring his son to a private facility.

“My greatest fear was how l was going to transfer him to another hospital. I did not have any money with me,” said Ogutu, who is not employed.

He started making frantic efforts to reach out to private hospitals that could admit his son without success.

At Tenwek Mission Hospital in Bomet, he was told the ICU was full.

He tried Aga Khan, Kisumu and was asked to pay Sh150,000 deposit. The other private hospitals were asking him for at least Sh100,000 in advance, which he could not raise.

TRANSFERRED PATIENT

Finally, through the intervention of a doctor friend, they got an ambulance and transferred his son to Mediheal Hospital in Nakuru.

Alex died after eight days. His father believes his son’s health complications worsened in the process of transferring him.

Ogutu now owes Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital Sh105,000 and Mediheal Hospital Sh435,271. He says he cannot raise the amount since he is unemployed.

Mediheal Hospital Administrator Charles Korir confirmed Alex was admitted to the facility on December 6 and died on December 14. He disclosed that at the time he died, the bill was Sh435,271.

And the mortuary bill by December 23 had hit Sh12,000.

Barrack Waigwe, an uncle of the deceased boy, said they plan to take the body home for burial after paying at least half of the hospital bill.

The family has so far organised two harambees and raised Sh200,000 which they have paid the hospital. However, the hospital has declined to release the body.

“We can only release the body once they have paid the entire amount owed to us,” said the hospital administrator.

The family is now pleading for assistance from well-wishers to clear the bill so that they can take the body home for burial.