Goodwill Cottage Hospital Detains US missionary Sandra Lichtfuss over Sh259,465 Bill
An American missionary has been detained at a private hospital in Kitale over a Sh259, 465 medical bill.
Ms Sandra Joyce Lichtfuss, 68, who suffered a hip bone fracture after falling at her house at Gatua Estate, has been receiving treatment at Goodwill Cottage Hospital.
Ms Lichtfuss, who comes from Pennsylvania State in the US, was rushed to the hospital on July 29 where she underwent a surgery to repair the hip bone. She has been in the country for five years.
She told Nation.Africa that she was playing with her two dogs when she slipped and fell from a chair as she picked something from a shelf.
"I slipped from a chair, hit my ankle on the table before I fell. I felt a sharp pain before hitting the floor," she said.
Hip surgery
She was rushed to Goodwill Cottage Hospital where she underwent a hip surgery before being subjected to orthopaedic management.
Sandra said that the hospital only informed her of the medical bill at the time of discharge.
"Nobody had told me there was a policy to pay medical bills before leaving the hospital. You don't treat someone like the way they did, especially a foreigner who is spreading the word of God," she said, adding that she had been trying to reach out to the US embassy to assist her but they are yet to respond.
However, Dr Godfrey Onyango, who owns the hospital, told Nation.Africa that the patient felt offended when nurses asked her how she would settle her medical bill.
The patient later requested the management to allow her stay, though she was due for discharge, to allow her raise money to pay the bill since her friends were running a funds drive.
Violation of her rights
“She said her friends had formed a WhatsApp group to raise funds, she has not paid a cent despite commitment by her friends,” said Dr Onyango.
The patient termed her detention in hospital a violation of her rights saying that the facility had barred her from getting out to work and raise funds.
Ms Lichtfuss revealed that she had contacted a friend in South Africa to help her pay the bill but she had no bank details by the time she was being discharged. She appealed to well-wishers to help her pay the bill.
"Right now I seriously need help from people with a good heart to settle the bill," she appealed.
By Gerald Bwisa | gbwisa@ke.nationmedia.com, Nation Media Group
Comments (10)
She needs to pay since she can box braid & may have failed to secure travel insurance as a whole doctor.
small mind.
Why was she discharged if she could not pay the bill.Nobody chooses to get sick had it been a local they go to the extent of restricting their movements and informing the guards should they attempt to escape.A foreigner spreading the word of god should lead by example there she is getting five star treatment yet the locals have to resort to self medication or local “mganga”to avoid hefty medical bills
kenyans u just lost yourself one tourist/missionary. this prison type of treatment even for people who just got treated is immoral. detain criminals not ailing citizens
I'm not feeling particularly charitable. She should either pay for NHIF or provide her own insurance that pays the hospital. The medical personnel had to be paid, equipment, supplies and medication used. A room was occupied. Who will pay for these hospitals if we apply your standard? For around $100, I buy a package that covers everything from trip cancellation to medical evacuation. It's not my expectation that anyone in Kenya or the US pays my way. Kenya does not need blood sucking tourists or missionaries even if they are white (yeah I got your subtext). If you can't afford to be someplace, don't go there.
No more so called " Missionaries".
We have enough Kenyan's and Africans who know and can spread the word of God and especially in local languages.
All so called " missionaries" need to spread the word of God in their home countries where Christian churches are loosing members in droves and closing down churches.
Time for foreign churches in Kenya and Africa is coming to an end.
Those foreign churches replaced our shrines and the will soon be replaced. Everything has a beginning and an end. Their time to be replaced by what is coming is here!!!
To say that "she was playing with her two dogs when she slipped and fell from a chair as she picked something from a shelf" is discombobulating. Anyway: Maybe she wants people who love DOGS to help her.
"...You don't treat someone like the way they did, especially a foreigner..." I guess she was expecting special treatment for being a "foreigner"(read mzungu) but those days are gone. Mjinga akierevuka mwerevu yu mashakani.
Si uyu dada yetu kutoka Marekani amwombe huyu mungu wake wa Kiyahudi amponye na pia amlipie deni la matibabu ya hospitali!
Jambo la kutisha na pia la kuhuzunisha ni kuwa wengi wetu mpaka sasa hatujaelewa na kujua ya kwamba sisi ni mateka (hostages) wa dini na mila za watu wengine!
Mahali palipo na lugha pana mila na pia dini.
Kuna dini 4,300 duniani. Ukichunguza dini hizi kwa makini, utaona ya kwamba zinatokana na lugha na mila za watu.
Mtu akikudharau anakufanyia yafuatayo:
1. Anakupa jina au majina ya asili yake.
2. Anaua lugha yako ya asili na kukupa yake
3. Anakupa mila zake zote na kutupilia mbali
hata mila nzuri za asili yako.
4. Anakupa dini yako na kuua dini ya
asili yako.
5. Anakufundisha historia yake na
Kukudanganya ya kwamba wewe hukuwa
na historia yoyote kabla hajafika kwako
6. Anakwambia ya kwamba rangi ya ngozi
yako ni mbaya halafu anakuuzia
madawa ya kugeuza rangi yako
7. Anakwambia nywele zako ni mbaya. Ukiwa
mwanamume anakwambia uzinyoe zote
kwa sababu ni mbaya. Ukiwa mwanamke
anakwambia uzibadilishe zionekane
kama nywele za asili ya Ulaya
8. Mwishowe unajichukia na kutaaga kuiga
kila kitu chake - kizuri au kibaya.
Ningependa mjue ya kwamba, kuna dini mbili
ambazo watu wa asili ya dini hizi
wanamchukia mtu wa asili ya Afrika kiwango
ambacho wanamwona Mwafrika kama
chombo cha kutumia na kudharau 24/7.
Dini ya kwanza ni dini inayohusiana na Wayahudi na ya pili ni ya asili ya Waarabu.
Mpaka sasa, sielewi kwa nini Mwafrika
anaweza kuwa mfuasi wa dini hizi mbili zinazomdharau Mwafrika🤭😳!
Mwafrika hataweza kuendelea mbele katika maisha yake kama binadamu wengine
mpaka atakapotupilia mbali na kuondoa
bibilia na kurani katika maisha yake.
Mkosa lugha, mila, na imani ya asili yake
Ni mtumwa wa watu wengine.
Sielewi huyu Dada yetu Mmarekani anafanya
nini Kenya. Yafaa arudi Marekani na kuwahubiria Wamarekani wanaowachukia Wamarekani wa Asili ya Afrika. Kwanza awahubirie wana KKK
wawadhamini binadamu wengine wasio wa asili ya Ulaya na kuwakubali kama binadamu kama wao.
Ni mzungu mwachilieni. They are special and privileged people. NOT!