Betty Bayo, a respected gospel artist faced a heartbreaking ordeal at AAR Hospital along Kiambu Road that highlights serious flaws in the country’s healthcare system.
Despite being registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), she was denied urgent care because the hospital demanded a cash deposit of KSh 260,000 before admitting her. Her condition had worsened rapidly, and the delay caused by this requirement contributed to her untimely death.
Friends and family noted that Bayo had struggled with health issues for nearly two years, showing signs like severe headaches, fatigue, and needing power naps during meetings, but these warning signs were not adequately addressed until it was too late.
The insistence by AAR Hospital on upfront payments reflects a larger problem in Kenya’s private healthcare sector. Many facilities have lost trust in SHA, which replaced the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). Under the previous NHIF system, hospitals were confident that insurance claims would be paid promptly. SHA, however, has struggled with frequent downtime on its preauthorization portal, delaying surgeries and forcing hospitals to demand cash deposits from patients. In Bayo’s case, this meant hours of waiting without admission, a delay that could have been avoided if the hospital trusted SHA coverage.
The situation worsened when Bayo’s friends attempted to transfer her to Kenyatta National Hospital. AAR reportedly increased her bill by KSh 200,000 within two hours, suggesting opportunistic billing that exploits families in emergencies.
Such practices show how private hospitals can prioritize profit over patient safety. With public hospitals overburdened, private facilities like AAR fill a critical role, but they often charge exorbitantly, making healthcare inaccessible to many Kenyans.
SHA’s shortcomings have contributed to this crisis. After replacing NHIF, the system increased premiums to 2.75% of gross pay but failed to prevent unpaid bills to legitimate hospitals.
Popular Gospel Artist the late Betty Bayo. Photo Courtesy/Nation Africa.
Over KSh 10 billion remains pending, prompting private hospitals to suspend services. While the government advises reporting non-compliant hospitals to the police, this does not resolve life-threatening delays. Under NHIF, programs like Linda Mama for maternity services, EduAfya for student healthcare, and free dialysis for kidney patients offered more reliable coverage, but these have largely disappeared.
Other patients have faced high deposits and denied services despite SHA coverage. In public hospitals, patients endure long waits, sleep in corridors, and encounter problems with SHA coverage between facilities. Even partial SHA coverage sometimes requires presidential intervention for full payment, an unsustainable solution.
AAR Hospital’s handling of Betty Bayo demonstrates a serious lack of regard for patient welfare. Denying admission without deposit and inflating bills during a transfer attempt highlights a profit-driven approach that endangers lives. Her death underscores the urgent need for hospitals to prioritize care over cash and for the government to restore an effective insurance system. Until reforms are made, Kenyans will continue to face healthcare emergencies as financial battles rather than medical priorities, leaving families vulnerable to tragic outcomes.
This tragedy demands accountability from AAR and immediate reforms in the healthcare system to prevent further loss of life.
