The father of Baby Patience Nduta, who underwent open heart surgery in India, is pleading for help from President William Ruto and Kenyans as his family seeks to offset the accruing bill.
Baby Nduta was diagnosed with Truncus Arteriosus and an interrupted aortic arch and was scheduled for surgery valued at Ksh1.8 million (USD 15,000).
Truncus Arteriosus is a birth defect of the heart. For this condition, the blood vessel coming out of the heart in the developing baby fails to separate completely during development, leaving a connection between the aorta and pulmonary artery.
Aortic arch syndrome, in turn, is diagnosed after the top part of the aorta - the main artery carrying blood away from the heart - becomes problematic or is injured.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, the father, James Nyaguthi, noted that the family travelled to India on August 16, after his child was referred to Miot International Hospital.
Out of the entire bill, the family settled Ksh1.4 million after holding at least four fundraisers and is left with a balance of Ksh415,880.
"I came here on August 16, 2022. We were discharged one month ago. We have paid Ksh1.4 million and the remaining balance is Ksh415,880 where we cannot leave unless we pay the balance," he stated.
Miot Hospital doctors carried out a complete evaluation of the heart and lungs including investigations including X-Ray, ECG, and Echocardiography among others valued at Ksh181,080.
The open heart surgery package including Surgery, ICU and hospital stay as well as postop investigations and medications were valued at Ksh1.08 million while Supplementary expenses as well as the cost of tissue valve conduit were billed separately.
He, therefore, sent a appeal to the Head of State as well as Kenyans to help him settle the bill and fly Baby Patience back to Kenya.
"To our Excellency the President, only Kenyans are expected to pay (their bills) here. Countries like Zanzibar, Tanzania, Seychelles and Sudan have their patients catered by the Government. Please, Mr President, help us to pay the bill," he appealed.
Miot International Hospital - which stands for Madras Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology and is ranked among the best hospitals in India - was founded by Dr P.V.A Mohandas primarily to offer Orthopaedics and Trauma Care.
The hospital started out as a 70-bed that has since expanded to host 1,000 beds offering superlative treatment in 63 specialities.
The hospital serves patients from 130 countries.
