Kenyans across social media have banded together to financially support an elderly renal patient who was denied treatment at a private hospital attributed to the confusion being experienced by Kenyans since Social Health Authority (SHA) roll-out kicked off on October 1.
After a tearful interview on Citizen TV on Thursday evening, Kenyans who were touched by the 76-year-old’s predicament took to social media to express their disdain over the new health scheme that had left many dialysis patients stranded.
Despite having seamlessly accessed the treatment for over a year under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) Scheme, James Kanyori said that he was surprised when he went for his regular treatment and was asked to cough up Ksh8,500 to cover the cost.
“They told me ‘Mzee go and get your people to pay the money’ but I do not have a source of income. I am a 76-year-old elderly man. I don’t have money or anyone to loan me the money,” he tearfully narrated.
A side-to-side image of President William Ruto and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) building in Nairobi.
William Ruto
Kanyori was forced to leave the hospital without the treatment despite the considerable health risks that came with not receiving his regular dialysis treatment.
Also affected by the same circumstances at the hospital was a woman who relayed that she had had to sell two goats in order to afford the treatment for her husband but had no idea what to sell to cover the next week’s session.
The clip soon went viral reverberating public outcry from several Kenyans online who were disheartened by the sight of an old ailing man crying on national television. They voiced their dissatisfaction with the new health scheme and advocated for its review.
Comedian Njugush took to his Instagram account with over 2.7 million followers to express his disappointment over the government failing to cover their bases when implementing SHA and abandoning Kenyans who receive specialised treatment from private hospitals despite remaining up-to-date with their NHIF payments.
“Imagine this, you are up-to-date with your parent’s NHIF card payment….Then government decides to transition to SHA bila mpango(without a plan) & haven’t settled NHIF debt with private and religious based hospitals ..they haven’t signed the SHA MOU either with them.” Njugush quipped.
“They understandably can’t offer service without pay…why not public hospitals you ask? You would die waiting for your turn in the queues that’s why private hospitals are an option, this being a matter of life and death. Something got to give. This man will surely get help but what of hundred others that are suffering silently?”
He went on to share the phone number of Mr Kanyori but insisted that clearing the bill for just one person was not enough to stop the crisis facing patients across the country saying, “Again it’s not sustainable to fundraise for all the chronic illness cases that’s why the system has to work.”
The phone number was soon shared to X after the clip had already started making rounds. At this point, Kenyans were already asking for ways to contribute.
In a heartwarming outcome, just a few hours after the phone number was shared the maximum limit for the day has been achieved and Kenyans can no longer send money to Mr. Kanyori.
Although others have expressed that this is not going to solve the crisis, and that fundraising efforts would lead to the government lagging in its efforts to correct their wrongs, many others saw it as a small way to help a man in need.
The plight of dialysis patients being left in the dark was first brought to light when DJ Krowbar on Sunday narrated his ailing wife’s predicament as they were asked to pay cash in order to receive treatment for his wife.
Following this, SHA acting CEO Elijah Wachira released a statement ordering all healthcare centers to not deny any critical treatment like dialysis, cancer and maternal care to any patient. Several days later, the problem still persists.
Comedian Timothy Kimani (Njugush) in an Instagram post on March 29, 2020
