Homa Bay woman, one-year-old son detained in India over Ksh.1M medical bill

By James Latano

A Kenyan woman and her one-year-old son are detained at a facility in Chennai City, India, over pending medical bills amounting to Ksh.1 million.

Lidya Achieng had reportedly taken her son to the MIOT Centre for Children’s Cardiac Care in India for a specialized operation to fill a hole in the toddler’s heart.

Speaking to Citizen Digital in Homa Bay County, the woman’s husband Pacifica Onyango said the operation was to be fully sponsored by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) called HAWI.

However, two days after the child had successfully undergone the procedure Mr. Onyango said the NGO called him back saying it was unable to foot the medical bills as earlier promised.

The distraught father of two added that his wife and child are still detained at the facility until the Ksh.1 million bill is cleared.

Mr. Onyango, who is a social worker in Muhuru town, further stated that he has been parting with Ksh.10,000 daily for their abroad upkeep, expressing frustration that the pending bill also keeps growing by the day.