Family in agony as baby detained at private Eastleigh hospital over Ksh.3M bill

A family from Loitoktok in Kajiado County is in agony and pleading for the release of their one-year-old son who is being held at Abyan Hospital in Eastleigh.

The child was referred to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), but the ambulance transferring the child from Kajiado diverted them to the private facility, ignoring clear instructions in the referral letter.

Now, the child is fighting for his life in ICU, without parental care, as the hospital has barred the parents from seeing the child until they pay a bill of Ksh.3 million. 

Esther Ulavu sits in a dimly lit motel in Eastleigh, her eyes swollen, voice trembling. Since June 12th, her world has unravelled when what was supposed to be a routine corrective surgery turned into a medical nightmare. Her woes began when the operating surgeon first demanded for Ksh.5,000 for him to undertake the surgery.

"Akaniambia kuna shilingi elfu tano utanitumia ya kununua pipe. Nikampigia Monday nikamwambia itakuaje mimi sijapata hiyo pesa, akaniambia kama hujapata mtoto hatafanyiwa operation basi," said Esther.

The operating surgeon admits asking for money, saying the request is a normal one.

"I think we talked to the mother, that was for the catheter. We do operations and there are things that are not available in the hospital and we inform the patient," said Henry Kiprono, the operating surgeon.

But the surgery went wrong. Esther says her baby was overdosed with anaesthesia, and his heart stopped twice. The doctors admitted his brain lacked oxygen for several minutes and he slipped into a coma. The hospital recommended an urgent transfer to KNH.

That’s when another demand came; she was required to pay Ksh.50,000 to “initiate the referral.” Time was ticking. The baby was in critical condition. Still, no ambulance would leave until she paid.

"Mtoto anapelekwa referral Kenyatta unahitaji kutafuta elfu hamsini. Nikawaambia hiyo sina wakasema tafuta mama, mtoto anachoka. Nilikuja nikailipa huku na paybill lakini walitaka nilipie huko Loitoktok hao madaktari," said Esther.

She borrowed the money, thinking her child would finally get the help he needed. But when the ambulance stopped, they weren’t at Kenyatta National Hospital.

The ambulance had taken them to Abyan Hospital in Eastleigh, a small private dispensary never mentioned in the referral. And that’s where their second nightmare began.

Here, Esther says, she’s been barred from seeing her son, assaulted, insulted, and left without updates. Video evidence seen by Citizen TV shows a hospital administrator assaulting Esther after her husband was beaten for asking to see the child.

"Tunafika tunaambiwa tushuke tushafika. Kushuka kuangalia nauliza hapa ndio Kenyatta? Dereva wa ambulance na hao nurses wakasema hapo ndio waliambiwa. Mtu wa ambulance akasema naye hawezi enda na ambulance mahali hakutumwa. Mtoto naye akawa amezidiwa kabisa," said Esther.

Abdi, an Abyan Hospital administrator, is seen on a recorded video clip harassing patients and denying Esther and her husband from seeing their child unless they clear the medical bill. Esther is heard asking why her husband was beaten, and Abdi turns to her and slaps her too.

Desperate, the family is now pleading for the Ministry of Health to intervene and transfer the baby to Kenyatta as originally intended.

Citizen TV contacted the medical superintendent at Loitoktok Hospital, Ezekiel Kapkoni, who says the hospital bears no responsibility for where the ambulance driver took Esther and her baby.

"If the patient is handed to another facility, he indicates that the patient was handed over and in this condition, and that is all. We have a written referral letter," said Kapkoni.

Citizen TV sought to find out from Abyan Hospital why they received a patient whose referral letter clearly stated he ought to have been taken to KNH.

The hospital’s CEO, only identified as Abdulah, said they were “duly credited” and advised us to take further questions to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC).

Meanwhile, the baby remains locked away, his parents at times barred from seeing him, and a three-million-shilling price tag hangs over his fragile life.