Thursday, September 1, 2022 – Below is a statement by activist Boniface Mwangi concerning a viral video in which he was captured causing fracas at a local hospital.
On the early morning hours of August 21, 2022, my wife and I were involved in a road accident along Langata Road. We were passengers in a friend’s car when another motorist veered into our lane while speeding and hit our car, which flipped. We landed up side down and the first people on the scene robbed us of our personal effects. Luckily, a good Samaritan couple, Eddu Rono and his wife, Koskey Yuniscah, came to our rescue and took us to a hospital.
When we got there, my wife was in pain, in a state of delirium, and was in and out of consciousness. The hospital wanted me to pay in order for my wife to get treatment but I had neither the money nor my wallet. Emergency health care is a right in the Constitution (Article 43(2)) and in my desperation to get the hospital management to attend to my wife beyond taking her vitals and giving her painkillers, I ended up raising my voice, breaking some things, and causing a scene.
My wife only got the medical attention she needed when my friend came to the hospital and paid the bill. My family and I are grateful that my wife did not suffer serious injuries. The hospital management called the police who arrested me. I was jailed at the Akila Police Station.
The actions that I took to get my wife medical attention were wrong and I apologized. I paid for all the damages that I had caused. The hospital costed the damaged items at KES 106,000.00, which l paid. I reached out to the people who were working at the reception at the time of the incident and apologized to them. Having fully recovered, my wife is back to work.
Special thanks to Eddu Rono and his wife, Koskey Yuniscah, who took us to the hospital. I really appreciate my two friends who came and paid the hospital bill in order for my wife to get the treatment she needed, and then proceeded to the police station and paid my cash bail. I also appreciate Inspector Fred Kariuki and Constable Mahat Ali, of Akila Police Station, for their understanding and consideration at the station. My gratitude also goes to Constable Bahati, of Langata Police Station, who was able to recover my phone after the accident and delivered it to me a day later.
My concerns are; why do most Kenyans who end up being first on the scene of an accident rob instead of help? Why do hospitals require a deposit to administer emergency treatment? Does profit trump life? So many people have died and continue to die in hospital corridors because doctors will not touch them without a deposit. Do we value profit more than human life?
Watch the video.
I sympathise with his patient but I am not sure what Boniface Mwangi, under influence, did at the hospital was right. Instead of shouting down security agencies, it would have made sense if he confronted the CEO. Hospitals should reserve the right of admissions for such guests pic.twitter.com/FTJk531ypw
— Stephen Mutoro (@smutoro) September 1, 2022
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