Over 50 women detained at Thika Level 5 Hospital for months over unpaid maternity bills have been granted much-needed relief after the Kiambu County Government waived Ksh 6 million in outstanding debts. The move was a significant source of joy for the mothers, who had been held at the facility due to their inability to pay the bills, which had accumulated due to financial struggles and inefficiencies in the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
The detained women, many of whom had been at the hospital since August 2024, expressed their deep relief as they would now be able to reunite with their families after months of separation. A lack of insurance coverage and the collapse of the Linda Mama programme, which previously supported maternity bills, had left many of the women unable to meet the costs of their care. Some of the women had also been relying on public health schemes, but the system’s shortcomings exacerbated their financial woes.
One of the beneficiaries, Rachel Mbogo, whose bill had accumulated to Ksh 196,000, shared her gratitude, stating that without the county government’s intervention, she would have remained in the hospital indefinitely. “If this waiver didn’t come through, where would I have gotten Ksh 196,000 at once?” she said.
In addition to the debt waiver, the women received Ksh 10,000 each from Embakasi North MP James Gakuya to support their livelihoods. Gakuya also urged the government to ensure the full implementation of healthcare reforms, particularly the Social Health Authority (SHA), to ease the burden on vulnerable citizens.
Dr. Elias Maina, Kiambu’s Health Executive, highlighted that the county government had waived Ksh 3 million in August and Ksh 4.1 million in September last year for similar cases, emphasizing the ongoing support for mothers in need.
The relief provided to these mothers underscores the importance of improving Kenya’s healthcare systems to ensure no one is left behind.
