Kenyan Man Who Died Four Years Ago Finally Buried After Well-wisher Clears Sh450,000 Hospital Bill
A 43-year-old Kenyan man whose body had been detained in a morgue for more than four years over an unsettled hospital bill has finally been laid to rest.
Samuel Masumba, who died from cancer in May 2018, was buried at his home in Jasho area in Nguumo, Makueni County on Saturday after his body was released after a well-wisher settled the hospital bill.
The deceased had been admitted to Mbagathi Hospital for cancer treatment and incurred a bill of Sh450,000 which the family was unable to raise.
His body lay at Chiromo Mortuary in Nairobi for over four years as the hospital insisted the family must clear the bill for his remains to be released for burial.
Speaking at the burial ceremony, family spokesperson Mango Muteti said the past four years have been tough for the kin, adding that laying their loved one to rest is a relief for them.
The family appealed to the government to put in place measures to ensure that poor families are given the opportunity to bury their relatives when they die and fail to settle hospital expenses.
Comments (16)
😭😭😭😭😭! So sad! Why not put a caveat or lean on the deceased property or family to commit and sign a payment plan rather than detain the dead? Quite immoral and unethical!
So how much was 4 years’ mortuary bill?
Rotten Kenya!
💩🕳
Good Lord. Only 450K while well wishers are building Virginia Kamotho a 20M mansion.
What a comaprison? why compare - people give for differnt reason. Wacha uivu/hate? if you have no clue what virginia went through.
Just because the late Hailed from Jasho😓 area, someone had to Sweat😓 to Get the Body released? Why not Release the Body free of Charge after 1 year of Waiting punishement? Hospitali zingine ni Kama zimeLongwa na waKamba.
Gilbert, you started to make a point and then showed your stupidity instead by insulting Kambas!
Which govt was Mango referring to?He seems to be a visitor to Kenya if he doesn’t know the so-called govt does not care for the people who are alive leave alone the dead ones.I wonder if he had been born in 2003 when the then health minister,Kaluki Ngilu looted shs23m(equivalent to shs 10b today)-funds for AIDS/HIV sufferers.Does he know jangili Ihuru led other elite thugs in “EATING “ shs 217b. za COVID?
This thing of holding the dead for ransom must be outlawed with stiff penalties of at least 20 years in prison!
Nobody wishes to be sick and then die in hospital especially when you have incurred high hospital bills .Just like we have payments going to elderly people who cannot afford food there needs to be a fund set up to pay for hospital bills when one dies .There is zero justification to hold on to a corpse .Those questionable NGO’s set up to fight for regular folk need to sue Mbagathi hospital for mental torture.
If a prisoner who dies in jail can be buried in a public cemetery without having paid his debt to society why hold onto to a poor person’s body ..MPIGS can afford to pay 1 million dollars for dinner for fundraising campaigns surely the money for this fund should come from their salaries
When the hospital is unable to treat a patient and finally the patient dies, the hospital should not be paid a shilling for failing to heal the patient.
Hahaha @Ndugu Imara Daima,there have been cases when the patient is healed,but detained till the medical bill is paid.The problem with your suggestion is that, there are some patients who have conditions that are un treatable...
I think it comes down to labor issues.Work done-work paid.But if there could be a contract that stipulates that payment will only be released to the satisfaction of the patient(customer) then I would totally agree with you.But would the hospital sign such a contract?
Shame and shame on you Mbagathi ....or is it Chiromo.....or both?
This is unacceptable.We as a society should be ashamed. And those who pride in african customs,please speak up. Iam sure there is no away under similar circumstances 100 years ago would a corps be buried four years later.
The ministry of health should come up with a solution.
Someone should pose this matter to the presidential candidates.This is a real life issue affecting families,and needs to be addressed.
What happened to free healthcare?.If we had it before,certainly we can have it again.A healthy citizenry will create wealth.
No one perhaps would have paid at this juncture. Only politicians running to get votes could have paid. I really don’t care which party but it’s wrong. The government failed to address such issues as allowing holding corpses to such time. One day is enough torment for the families and friends. Not four years.
This stupidity of detaining patients and the dead must end. personalty i will tell my family not to pay and let the morgue or hospital retain my body it is only a body my soul is in hell Use the money to pay school fees , food or whatever needs you have . dont incur debts over a dead body if they cannot allow you to dispose my remains and be paying pole pole