Mr John Githinji from Thindigua Village in Kiambu and his family are in distress following his daughter’s detention by an Indian hospital over a Sh1.8 million bill.
The hospital’s management has refused to release his daughter who has undergone a successful kidney transplant, unless the money is paid.
Declared fit
Ms Esther Wacera Githinji, 33, flew to Hinduja Hospital in March last year for a kidney transplant after waiting for 10 years to get a suitable donor.
This is the second transplant after an earlier one where her 60-year-old mother donated to her her kidney in 2005 failed.
Thankfully, Ann Githinji, Wacera’s sister volunteered to donate a kidney to her last year. To facilitate a transplant, the family raised Sh1.1 million by selling off some of their assets, including taking a loan and holding a fundraising. The money, he says, was enough for exercise that was to take between three to four weeks.
However after medical analysis, doctors at the hospital said Wacera’s body was not compatible with a kidney from a family member especially because it had rejected the organ donated by her mother seven years ago after using it for only 11 months.
Doctors advised them to seek a donor outside their family and were lucky when they found an Indian family that was suffering a similar plight and were willing to do a kidney exchange.
However, there was an obstacle. “The Indian Government refused to do the transplant, saying that one of their own could not give a kidney to a Kenyan, leading to a legal tussle,” said Ms Julia Wambui an older sister to the detainee. It took 13 months to clear the legal hurdles for the exchange to take place.
All this time, Wacera and her mother were living in a rental house in the country and the family was spending between Sh60, 000 to Sh80, 000 per month for their upkeep.
After the transplant, Wacera developed complications and had to undergo three other costly operations, adding to the already astronomical bill.
Luckily, Wacera was declared fit after the operation and discharged on March 16 this year but is still held up at the hospital with her mother who has been tending to her.
Githinji is burdened by his daughter’s medical bill, which, he says, has so far cost the family Sh10 million.
“I have been reduced to a pauper because I sold my livestock and property and am remaining only with the plot where my house stands. If only I could get the money to pay the bill and for their ticket back home, I will struggle with the cost of further care,” he said.
Financial assistance can be sent to MPESA No 0723 952 810 or Bank Account No Esther W Githinji Medical Fund, Equity Bank, Moi Avenue Branch, Account no 0470194026918.-standardmedia.co.ke
