Family Sues Mater Hospital for Detaining Body of Chess Champion Robert Mwangi over Sh6.6 Million Bill
A family in Nairobi has sued Mater Hospital for detaining the body of their deceased kin over a Sh6.6 million unpaid medical bill.
37-year-old Robert Ndirangu Mwangi, a lawyer, an international chess champion, and a person living with disability, died of coronavirus-related complications while undergoing treatment at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
On Tuesday, the court heard that the deceased fell ill in April and was taken to Mater Hospital where he was later diagnosed with COVID-19. Unfortunately, he died at the hospital on June 14th due to COVID-19-related complications.
At the time of his death, his medical bill had accumulated to Sh10 million but his family managed to offset some of it, leaving a balance of Sh6,654,011.
The family wrote to the hospital requesting them to release his body for burial as they look for funds to settle the outstanding bill but the facility declined.
The deceased’s father Joseph Mwangi filed a case at the Milimani commercial court seeking an unconditional release of the body forthwith for interment.
But in a replying affidavit, Matter Hospital told Senior Principal Magistrate Lynne Gicheha that the amount owed to the hospital was indisputable and that the engagement between the two parties was contractual.
The facility argues that although the plaintiff is entitled to the order for the release of the body, the same should be conditioned on Mwangi making an acceptable payment plan.
A subsequent hearing of the matter will be held on July 15th.
Comments
Heartless animals
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Heartless animals
RIP! Mater Hospital, shame…
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RIP! Mater Hospital, shame on you!
That is something no…
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That is something no hospital would dare do in America! Period! End of the story!
Release the deceased and then go to court to claim your damn money! I sure would hate to be caught up in this kind of quagmire!
May he RIP. The death is…
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May he RIP. The death is regrettable. But the Hospital used money to treat him, and unless it is paid, it will not be able to treat other patients, if this becomes a trend, for the simple reason that it needs the money to treat others. I don't think that there is a moral reason to sue the Hospital, unless there was negligence involved in the death. The family should just look for other ways of offsetting the hospital bill, instead of hiring lawyers, and going to Court. I think that a Court case will drag on for ages, bring indignity to the deceased, and will not resolve anything. The family should just engage with the Hospital on how, and when, the body of the deceased can be released for a dignified burial.
Well said Settled Nomad
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In reply to May he RIP. The death is… by Settled Nomad (not verified)
Well said Settled Nomad
Shame on the hospital! They…
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Shame on the hospital! They usually hold the body at a cost as well, adding to the despair & the bill. Respect the dead! There is also something to be said about a hospital with such an exorbitant cost where the patient developed bedsores as it was reported elsewhere that got infected and complicated the dx and recovery. There should have been better nursing care for such an amount. I feel as we have allowed such entities to get away with poor care and performance even when being charged. Did I say, "Shame on the hospital?" ok, shame on Mater Hospital!
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