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Article Newborn being kept in hospital until parents pay $100K bill

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A HOSPITAL is said to be holding a newborn baby hostage until his parents pay AU$107,000 medical bill.

His parents were hit with the huge charge after he was born prematurely while they were on holiday, The Sun reports.

Little Kiama Mwangi Kamau was born at 25 weeks on February 11, reports Xpress.

His mum Ruth Wambui Mwaura from Kenya had been on holiday in the city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, when she went into labour.

She said: “I had to be rushed to the emergency of the hospital and Kiama was born the next day.”

But instead of being overjoyed at the birth, the tot’s parents are now panicking about having to pay a hefty hospital bill of 294,000 AED (AU$107,000) — an amount they say they will never be able to afford.

Ruth, who had planned the delivery in her home country, continued: “I am currently out of work and my husband is a petrol pump filler.

“His monthly salary is 1600 AED (AU$585) and there is no way we can afford the big amount.

“We certainly were not prepared for something like this. We could not have imagined in our wildest dreams that we would be in this situation.”

The hospital have not released a statement and Baby Kiami is said to still remain in its care. The case is ongoing.

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  • wow it is amazing the way this system works over there

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  • THe longer the baby is in hospital the more it is going to cost and the more impossible it will be to raise the funds to pay the account and take their baby home. Kenya may be a country where travel insurance is not promoted.

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  • Always get travel insurance!

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  • How scary for the parents to have the baby so early. I hope there is more to this story. But even so how do they expect parents to pay these ridiculous amounts of money?! So sad.

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  • wow born at 25 weeks that very early. I wonder if there is more to this story that hasn’t been released yet?

    Even so apparently keeping a baby hostage until the huge bill is paid is really quite over the top and I am sure probably not actually legal!

    I think we need to see both sides of the story on this one – I think there must be more to it.

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  • Oh my goodness, how can the hospital hold a baby hostage! And I suppose that whilst they are holding the baby hostage they are taking care of it so the bill we be going up!

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  • I can imagine these parents are devastated ! how in the world can this AU$107,000 medical bill be so high ? And the hospital keeping the baby hostage ??!!
    Personally I think that when you’re not able to afford medical help, it should be offered for free. Everyone should be able to receive the medical help they need.

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  • Hopefully something can be worked out for this family. If they had travel insurance should had checked to make sure it covered unexpected like this.

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  • This is horrible for the poor family, l am sure a payment plan could be issued or something legal can be that,very wrong!

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  • I agree holding a baby hostage is disgusting but no travel insurance??

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  • Hostage taking is BS. But so is also travelling without travel insurance at that far pregnant!!

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  • That is wrong on so many levels, keeping a baby from its parents because of money. One of the things you really should consider before travelling overseas

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