Ciciliah Awuor and her son Ronnie at Marengo Asia Hospital in India where he has been receiving treatment since February, 2024.
Cicilliah Awuor, a 37-year-old businesswoman who sells cereals in Nairobi's Kariakor market, has fought tirelessly for the health and well-being of her 14-year-old son, Ronnie Hilary Mutesha, after he was involved in a tragic accident.
While she originally hoped that seeking medical treatment in India would help restore her son’s health and allow him to continue his studies, her hopes of finding solutions in the foreign land have been met with challenges, leaving her stranded abroad with mounting expenses and a worsening situation.
Ms Awuor’s struggle began in 2021 when a neighbour accidentally reversed his car and knocked Ronnie against the wall, leaving him with severe injuries.
He initially showed signs of recovery after treatment at Guru Nanak Hospital but soon developed complications, including immobility and blood in his urine.
Subsequently, he was admitted at Mbagathi Hospital, where medics established a hip fracture before being referred to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and got diagnosed with urethral stricture and underwent 14 surgeries.
On recommendation by Dr Timothy Jumbi, a consultant pediatrician at KNH, Ronnie was further referred for treatment in India for urethral stricture repair.
With an approval letter from Kenya’s Ministry of Health and a partial payment guarantee from the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to Marengo Asia Hospitals in Ahmedabad, India, Ms Awuorh travelled with her son for treatment in February 2024.
The letter, also copied to the Indian High Commissioner, stated: “The office has no obligation to the said patient proceeding to Marengo Asia Hospitals, Ahmedabad, India for the treatment.
“Upon return from abroad, the patient’s parent/guardian must share the outcome of the treatment with MOH policy.”
Their treatment was facilitated by Revocure, a healthcare platform that facilitates access to global medical expertise, with an estimated initial cost of Sh2 million.
What was meant to be a month-long treatment extended into a four-month ordeal.
After the first surgery, Ronnie was diagnosed with a new complication linked to previous surgeries and required a catheter for three months.
Ms Awuor faced a series of setbacks, including unavailable medical implants and multiple unsuccessful surgeries.
“After the first surgery, the doctors told me that the implant they intended to use was no longer available in India because their license had been revoked. They said the implant was only available in Europe or Turkey and I should go to one of those countries,” she told Nation on phone.
Later, the doctors informed Ms Awuor that they had found an alternative option, but it came with risks.
Notwithstanding the associated dangers, Ms Awuor decided to proceed, and the procedure was initially deemed as a success.
“However, two weeks later, the situation worsened and they were back to square one. The doctors recommended yet another surgery, which also failed. All these problems are related to the initial accident. We have been discharged, but nothing has changed with Ronnie’s health since we arrived in India,” she said.
They now expect him to recover in five to eight years, but his treatment must continue until then, Ms Awuor added.
Due to failure to pay her daily accommodation fee of Sh4,604 daily for accommodation, the family’s financial burden has also spiraled to over ShSh537,000.
Her distress is compounded by the fact that her return ticket, initially renewed, is now invalid after they missed their flight due to a medical emergency.
“I booked an air ticket after we got discharged from the hospital, but the night before our flight, Ronnie developed urine retention and couldn’t pass urine at all,” says Ms Awuor.
Despite his health struggles, Ronnie sat his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams in 2023, scoring 339 marks and earning admission to Kangundo High School in Machakos County.
However, his condition has prevented him from joining and Ms Awuor hopes to enroll him next year once his health stabilizes.
As this unfolds in a faraway land, Ms Awuor’s husband, Samuel Mutie, a casual laborer, has been forced to take care of other children.
