NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 2- A Kenyan woman is stranded at an Indian hospital with her daughter aged one year and 10 months after she failed to raise the Sh900,000 hospital bill.
Florence Akinyi Omollo 26, had travelled to New Delhi’s Fortis Escort Heart Institute (FEHI) with her daughter Everlyne Tiffany Owino who was to undergo open-heart surgery.
The girl, born on December 29, 2019, started developing chest problems, almost immediately after birth, a condition that persisted.
She flew to New Delhi, India on October 3 with the daughter for the treatment.
Since they were to be there for about three months and that the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) had committed to pay Sh500,000 as part of the bill, she decided to go as the husband, a mechanic in Umoja Innercore, mobilised funds through friends and relatives.
They were forced to stay in New Delhi until October 17 when the child was admitted for the operation.
The delay was due to the fact that the hospital was unable to admit the child unless part payment was made.
The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) had committed to pay about Sh500,000. The hospital however insisted that the money be paid in advance.
On October 6, the FEHI wrote back confirming they had received the NHIF’s Guarantee of Payment (GOP) but noted that the “estimated cost was higher than the GOP”.
The decision to move to India was a result of the doctors warning them that time was running out, and that the surgery had to be done before the end of October this year.
The return ticket only cost us about Sh94,000
“Due to the complexity of the case and severe PAH (Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension), the baby has been referred abroad where the pulmonary measures can be managed,” wrote KNH’s Dr. Naomi Gachara, the KNH’s Paediatric Cardiologist.
On September 22, the NHIF, after assessment, wrote to FEHI committing to pay part of the hospital fee.
According to Akinyi, two months after birth, the daughter started developing problems and they visited several hospitals including Mama Lucy Hospital, KNH, and the Kijabe Mission Hospital, among others.
It was the KNH that later advised the parents to take her to India for specialised treatment.
Diagnosis revealed that the girl was suffering from Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), a heart defect in the form of an opening found in the days or weeks after birth.
The opening between the aorta and the pulmonary artery, ductus arteriosus, is a normal part of a baby’s circulatory system in the womb that usually closes shortly after birth. If it remains open, it is called PDA.
The baby was also diagnosed with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), which is a form of a broader condition known as pulmonary hypertension, which is high blood pressure in the lungs.
Records from the KNH indicate the child was also diagnosed with Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), a congenital heart defect where there is a hole in the wall that separates the two lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart.
The baby girl had congenital heart disease -double outlet right ventricle, large ventricular septal defect with small patent ductus arteriousus, and significant pulmonary hypertension
The Hospital’s Executive Director Dr. Krishna Iyer on November 17 confirmed that the operation was successful. He however said the post-operative course was prolonged due to complex surgery, the double outlet right ventricle repair.
“The baby needed re-intubation for significant pulmonary artery hypertension and remained oxygen dependent after extubation. Currently, she is on intravenous antibiotics with a high dose of diuretics. She may need a few more days’ hospitalization for further stabilization and management,” Dr. Iyer said.
To help, channel the funds through Mpesa pay bill number 8040839. Mother: Florence Akinyi Omollo +254729557712 (Whatsapp)
Father: Steve Mayende Owino 0701225477. Residence (Kayole Saba Saba) Work (place Konjra Garage, Umoja Innercore near Sango stage)
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