Use public hospitals to avoid huge medical bills, MP Nzengu says

Nzengu said government-owned  hospital  were  more ideal and high bills could always be negotiated downward  to  save families the pain of fundraising even when a relative passes on in hospital.

The MP was  speaking at Itivanzou Village in Kyuso district in his political turf on Saturday. It was during the burial  of the late Pastor  Cosmas Mwinzi Maithya, a clergyman who succumbed while undergoing treatment at a high-end hospital in Kitui town. “I am a very bitter person because  my attempt to reach out  to the hospital  management and negotiate a discount on the huge bill left behind by  our late Cosmas  fell on deaf ears. 

My  pleadings  were met with a lot of contempt and left me in a bad state that I was not able to report back to relatives who had requested  me  to negotiate a discount,”  the MP told  the huge crowd of mourners at the ceremony.

Pastor Cosmas who was suffering from  renal cyst  passed on on August 18 leaving behind a bill of KSh. 1.3 million after undergoing  three surgeries. While still in  hospital, he suffered a kidney failure and had to be put on a dialysis.

MP Nzengu lamented  that professional negligence and misdiagnosis had become commonplace in private  hospitals citing two hospitals; one in Kitui town and another in Mwingi town where some of  his constituents have lost their lives."I am opening up here because I am bitter. The Management at the  hospital where Cosmas was admitted was  not sympathetic even after the patient died leaving bill of close to KSh.1.5 million. They were not ready to waive at least KSh. 20,000  from the huge bill,” said the MP.

The Mwingi North MP thus called on his constituents to always seek treatment and  medical care at government  hospitals which he said had the most qualified medics  and who treated people with a human heart. “Let our people be taken to government hospital where they will be treated humanely. In such  hospitals, I can write letters to requests waiver which would be treated positively as opposed to private hospital that kill our people and adopt a don’t care attitude” he said.

A local politician, Kathi Muthui, echoed the MP's remarks that the death of Pastor Cosmas was highly suspicious. He doubted whether the huge hospital bill was commensurate to the care Cosmas received before meeting his death.

The chairperson of the  Nairobi committee that was organizing the burial of the late pastor Paul Mutemi said due to increasing cost of health care, all residents should seek medical  insurance especially NHIF.

“Let our people register with NHIF and not to bother about the plan by the government to increase the monthly NHIF contribution as it is extremely helpful,” Mutemi who is also Nairobi businessman told the mourners.