Veronica Gathoni's voice cracks with grief as she recounts the last moments of her son, Simon Mbugua Mwai, 53.
Mwai didn't die from a tragic accident, but from a simple yet devastating reality: the family says they couldn't afford the Sh23,000 required for a CT scan at Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital (NTRH), a cost the facility denied.
Despite Mwai's contributions to the Social Health Authority (SHA) health scheme, the family claims the hospital demanded cash up front.
With no way of raising the funds in time, Simon's condition deteriorated and, according to the family, he died on a hospital stretcher.
Veronica Gathoni Mwai on April 1, 2025 at her home in Langalanga, Nakuru City.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation
The pain in Veronica's eyes speaks volumes as she sits in the modest one-bedroom house in Nakuru's Langalanga Estate, where her son lived, surrounded by her granddaughter, Mwai's widow, and friends paying their respects.
On the night of Tuesday, March 25, Gathoni received a call from Mwai's wife informing her that his health had deteriorated.
Gathoni, a resident of Keringet in Kuresoi South, immediately prepared to travel to Nakuru the following morning.
She arrived at 8 am and, accompanied by Mwai's wife and daughter, they boarded a taxi and drove to the hospital, desperately hoping for help.
In the casualty wing, Mwai was given an intravenous drip and put on oxygen.
The doctors quickly assessed the situation and told the family that he needed a CT scan of his chest and stomach before he could be admitted to hospital.
The cost was Sh23,000 in cash.
Gathoni said that even though Mwai was enrolled in the SHA scheme, which provides universal health coverage, the hospital insisted that the family pay the entire amount upfront.
This left them in shock, as they had assumed that his insurance would cover the medical costs.
In disbelief, the family scrambled to raise the money, calling relatives and friends in a desperate attempt to secure the funds.
But time was not on their side, and in the end the family managed to raise only Sh3,000, which the hospital allegedly rejected, refusing to proceed without full payment.
“My son was just lying on the stretcher in the casualty wing as I paced around, making calls to borrow money. His daughter and wife were just holding his hands hopelessly. He was in pain and his condition was worsening. We begged them to admit him first and allow us time to raise the money. We told them he was in critical condition, that every minute counted. But they refused,” she recalled.
Minutes turned into hours, and as the family continued to search for funds, Mwai’s condition worsened.
“I watched as my son took his last breath. He looked at me and I saw the pain in his eyes. He knew he was dying and I could do nothing to save him,” Ms Gathoni told Nation.Africa on Tuesday.
Mwai’s daughter, 20-year-old Mary Njeri, said her father’s illness began in 2024 after he complained of stomach pain, which was initially diagnosed as ulcers.
In November 2024, he was taken to Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital, where doctors discovered a growth on his rectum.
Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital.
Photo credit: File | Nation
Despite medication, his condition worsened as his stomach swelled and he was unable to move his bowels.
The plan was to have reconstructive surgery after six months, but his health continued to deteriorate.
“His situation worsened when we took him to the hospital that day. But what is the point of contributing to a health insurance scheme if, in an emergency, you are still required to pay cash upfront? My father died because of a system that does not work for the poor,” Njeri says.
But according to the hospital, records indicate that Mwai was brought to the facility complaining of a cough, difficulty in breathing for one day and an inability to eat.
He arrived on a stretcher, unable to walk or move, according to Florence Ngoya, the casualty in charge at the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Ms Ngoya explained that the casualty plan for the patient included a chest X-ray costing Sh800, an abdominal ultrasound at Sh1,500 and an abdominal X-ray at Sh800 due to the severe distension.
“This was the planned course of action, as he was already on oxygen and receiving fluids. However, before he could be wheeled to the X-ray room, his condition suddenly deteriorated, and he began gasping. His vital signs became unrecordable, and despite resuscitation efforts, he could not be revived. The attending doctor certified his death. His relatives were counselled before his body was moved to the mortuary,” she said.
Ms Ngoya denied claims that the hospital charged Sh23,000 for treatment before admitting the patient.
“In emergency situations involving critically ill patients, we provide treatment first and bill later. Since he was set to be admitted to the ward, that was the protocol we followed. The family should come forward and clarify who asked them to pay Sh23,000. They are lying; it was probably a con,” she added.
