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It was a massive sigh of relief for more than 50 mothers who had been detained at Thika Level Five Hospital because of unpaid maternity bills after Kiambu county government waivered their pending fees, totalling Sh6 million.

They were allowed them to go home after Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi cleared their debts.

Speaking to journalists, the mothers said they were unable to raise the money and did not have any health insurance scheme after the ‘Linda Mama’ that was covering maternity bills stopped working, while others had difficulties with the new Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme.

Rachel Mbogo, who had a bill of Sh196,000, expressed fury with the withdrawal of ‘Linda Mama’.

“My child has been at NBU (Newborn Unit) for months undergoing treatment after she developed some complications. With ‘Linda Mama’, the financial challenges we have been facing would have been sorted but in the current circumstance, we were forced to be detained here in the facility until we clear all the bills,” she explained.

According to the Kiambu Health Services CECM, Dr Elias Maina, some of the mothers had already been approved for waivers and were in the process of verification.

After analysing the lists, it emerged that some mothers were foreigners from Burundi, and others were underage.

Dr Maina said in just three months, the county government has approved substantial waivers, including Sh3 million in August 2024 and Sh4.1 million in September 2024.

The mothers who had remained at the hospital during the Christmas and New Year period also received monetary support from Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, worth Sh10,000.

The MP called on the government to fully implement the new healthcare systems to reduce the suffering of Kenyans, most of whom are yet to begin enjoying the SHA benefits.

He also called on the health Minister Dr Debra Mulongo Barasa to get out of her comfort zone and move to hospitals for first-hand experience of SHA inefficiencies.

“The government should move quickly to address the healthcare issues by streamlining the SHA thing to stop the sufferings of Kenyans,” noted Gakuya.