THE UNTOLD STORY: How a Kitui minor's body has been lying at KNH morgue for more than a year, leaders turn deaf ears on the matter

THE UNTOLD STORY: How a Kitui  minor's body has been lying at KNH  morgue for more than a year, leaders turn deaf ears on the matter


BY MWINGI TIMES

A woman from Ngemini village in Kiomo location, Mwingi west constituency, Kitui County is distressed. She has been moving from one office to another looking for someone who could help her obtain the body of her young daughter who has been detain at Kenyatta National Hospital since June last year due to lack of finances.

According to Mary Musembi, the mom who is seeking a chance to bury her daughter is said to have pitched camp at Governor Ngilu’s office for two weeks in vain. The governor’s cronies are said to have dismissed and told her to seek aid for her family elsewhere
 

She then went to seek help for her area MP Charles Nguna, but being the poor lady, her move didn't bear fruits either. She has currently turned into begging for help from anyone in Mwingi town hoping that one day God would sent a Good Samaritan to help her.  
 

Her daughter, Grace Kamene (17) seems to have been born a unlucky girl in Kitui county. The girl, despite being a minor, is said to have been married immediately she completed her KCPE exam in 2017 and impregnated by a young adult from her village.

As if that wasn’t enough, after realizing that the girl was expecting their son’s child the family of the young man sent the minor away.

On June 23, 2018,  Kamene developed some pre-natal complications and was taken to Mwingi Level IV hospital where she was treated for free as her mother was registered with the Kitui County Health Insurance cover (K-CHIC) and the young girl had also been registered with the Linda mama programme.
 

However, the condition persisted and she was later referred to Kitui level IV hospital where she stayed for few days before being referred again to Kenyatta National Hospital.
 

At  the Kenyatta National Hospital is where her condition worsened and just after a C-section was conducted, she succumbed to the sickness leaving behind the newborn that lasted for three days and also passed away.
 

However, neither K-CHIC nor Linda mama cover was of help to her; a clear indication of the limitations of the Kitui County Health Insurance cover.

 The most difficulty moment was ushered in when the family was unable to clear the medical bill and the body was detained at the hospital morgue to date.
 

By end of last year, the hospital bill had shot to Sh. 95,000 without including the mortuary daily charges.  However, the amount still remains too high for Kitui leaders to chip in and help the family recover the body of their loved one.
 

The unanswered questions are: