George Rae, the doctor failed by everyone
A picture of Dr George Rae at a past event.
A cloud of grief, alongside mounting diplomatic and financial crisis, has gripped Kisumu County following the death of Dr George Rae, a senior adviser to Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o in the county’s Department of Medical Services, Public Health and Sanitation.
What began as a strategic mission to modernise Kisumu’s healthcare and urban infrastructure has ended in a nightmare of international proportions.
Dr Rae, a former chief executive officer of the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), remains in a South Korean morgue as his family and the Kenyan government scramble to settle a staggering Sh20 million medical bill required to release his body for repatriation.
Dr Rae travelled to South Korea in early December as part of a high-level delegation to attend a Smart Cities conference. His interest centred on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digitisation could be integrated into Kisumu’s urban services.
“Apart from his health job, he had an interest in matters of cities and AI. That is how he found himself getting involved. The Smart Cities conference really attracted him, so he attended, and unfortunately died during that process in South Korea,” said Kisumu Health County Executive Committee member, Dr Gregory Ganda.
However, days after arriving, the 74-year-old public health expert collapsed suddenly. He was rushed to a local hospital and placed in the Intensive Care Unit. His condition necessitated a transfer to a more specialised facility for ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) treatment, a high-end life-support system that functions as an external heart and lung for patients whose organs are failing.
“We explored every option, including paying for a specialised air ambulance to bring him home two weeks ago, but an ECMO ambulance is extremely rare and expensive. It would have been futile to transport him to a facility in Kenya that could not sustain that level of care. We were waiting for him to be stepped down to normal ICU support, but he passed on before that could happen,” Dr Ganda said.
Dr Rae died on December 26, leaving his widow who had travelled to be by his side, stranded in a foreign country.
The tragedy has exposed serious gaps in the protection of Kenyan officials on foreign missions. The total medical bill has surpassed Sh20 million (about $155,000), a situation further complicated by insurance failures.
Dr Ganda revealed that although the county provides cover through Madison Insurance, Dr Rae had not completed the mandatory online registration required for onboarding into the scheme. Registration and onboarding are the sole responsibility of the employee, and as a result, he did not qualify for the cover.
“Had he registered, he would have been entitled to Sh2.5 million in benefits based on his job group. Given the circumstances, the county decided to advance the Sh2.5 million due to him, and that has already been done,” Dr Ganda said.
Accumulating bill
He added that repatriation is covered under human resource regulations.
“When a staff member dies, the government has a responsibility to bring the body home from wherever they are. We always do that. The cost of the coffin, repatriation, air travel, embalming and preparation of the body has already been taken care of. An order has been given to the travel agent, and it has been accepted,” he said.
Dr Ganda said discussions are ongoing with the embassy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Diaspora Office and the Ministry of Health over how to address the accumulated hospital bill, noting that the body cannot be released until the bill is fully settled.
“There is no clear legal precedent that directly addresses such circumstances. Any government intervention must remain within the law because public funds cannot be disbursed without clear authority. We expect feedback by the end of the day, which will guide the next steps. This situation highlights gaps in current regulations and the need to rethink how such extraordinary cases are handled,” he said.
Dr Rae’s sister, Dr Deborah Onundo Rae, described him as the glue that held the family together.
“I spoke to him on Monday, December 1. He had already left Kenya. Later that evening, he told me he was part of a Kenyan delegation working on a smart cities project and fundraising for an oncology centre. From all our interactions, he was well and in good spirits,” she recalled.
Three days later, she received a call from Dr Rae’s wife informing her that he had suffered a cardiac incident and had been hospitalised.
“I was told he had attended a meeting, had breakfast and gone for a walk when he suddenly felt unwell and collapsed. They attempted resuscitation, but doctors could not immediately determine the cause. We are still awaiting full medical documentation,” she said.
He died on Boxing Day, December 26. The hospital bill stands at more than $150,000. Family and friends have raised about $26,000, leaving a deficit of roughly $130,000 before the body can be released.
“We appealed to the embassy and the national government when he was still alive, even asking for a loan to support ECMO treatment, but we were told there was nothing more they could do beyond providing a translator,” she said.
She added that while Kisumu County initially pledged Sh2.5 million, only Sh1 million had been paid, leaving a balance of Sh1.5 million.
Dr Simon Kigondu, president of the Kenya Medical Association (KMA), said the association has raised Sh3 million through a paybill drive but remains Sh17 million short.
“Those who worked closely with him were not aware of any pre-existing medical conditions. He was over70 years old and widely respected for his experience in healthcare policy,” Dr Kigondu said.
He described Dr Rae as a pillar of KMA and a statesman of healthcare governance, citing his role as chair of the Managed Healthcare Committee from 2016 to 2020.
Prof Khama Rogo, a global health policy expert, said burial plans cannot begin until the body is repatriated.
“Every day is another $400 in morgue charges. The county government should give the family a guarantee so the body can be released as we continue fundraising,” he said.
JOOTRH also paid tribute to Dr Rae, noting his role in advancing sickle cell care, establishing an oxygen plant during the Covid-19 pandemic, and strengthening oncology services.
His loss, the hospital said, will be deeply felt.
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