A Kenyan baby is reportedly held in a Dubai Hospital and cannot be discharged since the parents could not pay an accrued hospital bill amounting to Sh8 Million.
The mother of the baby, Ruth Wambui Mwaura, told a Middle East news website, XPRESS News, that she was planning to fly home for the delivery but his baby, Kiama Kamau Mwangi, was born prematurely on 25th February forcing her to be admitted to the Dubai hospital.
"We certainly were not prepared for something like this. We could not have imagined in our wildest dreams that we would be in this situation.
“I had to be rushed to the emergency of the hospital and Kiama was born the next day,” Ruth stated.
Mrs Mwaura explained that Kiama had been hospitalised for two months as his condition had to be stabilised. She added that the baby was now ready for discharge but she could not leave the hospital as his family was unable to afford the bill.
"I am currently out of work and my husband is petrol pump filler. His monthly salary is Sh45,473 and there is no way we can afford the big amount,” she stated.
The mother noted that the situation was so frustrating and saddening being held up in a foreign hospital and not being able to give her son the homecoming he deserved.
"It’s very painful for us not to be able to give him a homecoming because we do not have the money," Mrs Mwaura narrated.
Neither the hospital nor the Kenyan Embassy in Dubai has released a statement on the incident.
