Kenya: School Girl Held Over Hospital Bill

A 16 year old secondary school girl in Mumias district has been detained in hospital for failing to settle the hospital bill. The form two student from Eluche Secondary School has been held at St Mary's Hospital since November last year. The hospital bill has accumulated to Sh139,000. The girl, identified as Lilian, was admitted at the hospitals' maternity wing on 21st November 2011.

The hike in the hospital bill has been due to the incubation of her twins for two months. They were born prematurely. Her parents have deserted her. According to Luhya customs delivering twins in the first pregnancy is a bad omen. Efforts by the provincial administration to have the man responsible for her pregnancy foot the hospital bill failed when they realized that the boy is a form four candidate in one of the schools in the slums of Mumias town. She has appealed to well wishers to assist in settling the bill. The hospital's management has maintained they will not release the girl and her two children until the bill is settled.

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.