Protest After a Kenyan Student Dies in Canada, Leaves Behind a $517,000 Medical Bill
The death of a Kenyan student in Canada has triggered a debate in the North American nation over the huge medical bill he left behind.
Tevin Obiga, 25, passed away last week at St Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he was receiving treatment for blastomycosis, a fungal infection that affects the lungs.
The fourth-year computer engineering student at the University of Manitoba was admitted to the health facility in mid-January and moved to ICU days later.
Following his demise last week, the hospital slapped Tevin’s family with a medical bill of $517,764 (Sh50 million) for his stay at the health facility.
The huge bill has triggered protests from a section of political leaders in Canada, who are calling on the government to immediately reinstate health insurance for international students.
Led by Manitoba Liberal party leader Dougald Lamont, the leaders want the Canadian government to bring back a program that helped international post-secondary students to pay for their health insurance and healthcare. The program was disbanded by the Progressive Conservatives in March 2018.
“It's a pretty low price to pay to make sure that students from abroad who study in Manitoba, who bring hundreds of millions of dollars with them, actually can get healthcare coverage when they need it,” Lamont was quoted by Canada’s State broadcaster CBC.
Nation reports that the family, with the help of members of Winnipeg's African community, were trying to raise $20,000 to airlift Tevin’s body to Kenya for burial when they received the huge medical bill.
Tevin was taken to the hospital on January 13th and doctors performed a medical procedure on him two days later, but he never woke up. Four days later, he was moved to the intensive care ward, where he was put on several machines, including a lung bypass one.
Tevin’s death came barely two weeks after his mother Lilian Ndiego was granted a temporary visa to travel to Canada to see her son. Her initial application was denied but the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada approved the second one after “additional information” was provided.
Comments (15)
First AID for any LUND Disease: Rest, Lay, or Sleep facing Down; your Face sideway(s)🤪 for Proper breathing and Sufficient intake of Oxygen. Laying, Resting or Sleeping on your Back (i.e facing Up😫) while having LUNG problems Contracts (bad) than Expand (Good) them. Facing up makes Matters worse and even Kills😩.
Note: If you're a Pregnant woman or a Man with a Tummy (KiTummy)? Take care.
What a damb respose.
What a Dumb response with an 'a" instead of a "u". You dumbhead that is DUMB!!!
Keep on with your Infantile IGNORANCE and I will come to Bury you very soon. So go ahead and Lay, Rest, or Sleep on your Back in your IGNORANT Moronse and Wake up Dead.
You think this guy slept on his back? Your are dumb.
You must be high on something!
Miguna, this is your ball. Assist this young man pay the bill or advocate for forgiveness of the bill. This is the test of your leadership.
There is no protest in Manitoba, it's the same law makers who disbanded the insurance for international students program. Then, it was a political convenience, and now, they face the consequences.
Conservatives believe in less government in our lives but to the economically disadvantaged, this philosophy can be a living hell.
Conservatives believe in government control, and big government spending. Just review government spending and borrowing during Reagan and Trump. They also believe in big governments, making decisions on behalf of women.
We need the Kenya government to come up with an insurance plan for the diaspora. Yes, diapora should be insured for the large sums of cash they shell out to Kenya.It just makes sense to insure the assets that bring you the most amount of revenue.
How about a 2% tax on the diapora money to fund a "Diaspora Insurance".This would cover all expenses related to death of a diaspora.
Ndugu Maxiley, naona tatizo katika suluhisho hili. For this I'll use myself as an example. Every couple of weeks I pay out around $750 in various taxes and deductions covering life, medical, federal, state and city taxes and 401k contributions. Jointly with my wife, I then pay a mortgage that includes property tax. I pay property tax on my vehicles. My phone bill and fuel purchases include taxes, my utilities include taxes, my purchases have an extra 6.75% to 8% tax tacked on to the purchase price. I have already been taxed on the amount I send to relatives. Not for nothing but I don't need someone else putting their hands in my pocket. Oh, one more thing, I already pay land rates and income taxes in Kenya. While I sympathize with those that don't or can't get insurance, I would like to find more than lint when I reach into my pocket.
I hear you @ Mundumugo.My suggestion is intended to solicit solutions to this never ending problems of diapora. Harambees,and go-fund-me help,but I dont think that's the solution. May by 2% tax is too much for some.We can crank numbers and come up with a compromise, Iam sure.
Iam reminded of Obama Care. In part it was designed to block insurance companies from rejecting patients with existing issues.That's is in addition to medical coverage for all...One of the objections was the forced penalty for those who did not have the coverage.If someone can come up with a"painless" solution, let's hear it.
If the government really wanted to help, they would negotiate with an insurance provider that could provide group rates for health, hospital and life insurance. I'm sure we have Kenyans in the diaspora who are licensed to help.
At Mundumugo, that's my point. If the Kenyan government wanted to help,they could come up with a solution that might help at least partially if not fully.
I liken this to " national disaster".The gov. usually steps in right?