Family of former Chief Executive Officer of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) George Rae has expressed frustration over what they describe as government inertia in repatriating the medic’s body being in South Korea over unpaid bills following his sudden death while on official duty.

Speaking on behalf of the family Khama Rogo said Dr Rae’s passing on exposed serious gaps in the protection of public servants travelling abroad on official duty. Dr Rogo pointed out that the family is struggling to raise the Ksh16.7 million required to settle outstanding hospital bills for the body to be repatriated.

“Dr Rae was not sick. He was well and travelled as part of an official county delegation,” Dr Rogo said, as he explained: “He collapsed suddenly while boarding a bus during an official tour and was rushed to hospital by emergency services.”

He said that Dr Rae was admitted to Intensive Care Units at two major hospitals in South Korea, where he was placed on advanced life-support systems that included extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

The treatment cost, he said, escalated rapidly with the total hospital bill exceeding Ksh20 million.

According to Dr Rogo, Ksh3 million has been raised and paid through contributions from the Kenya Medical Association (KMA) with the family also making some payment leaving an outstanding balance of Ksh16.7 million that must be cleared for the body to be released.

“This is a senior public servant who made immense contributions to the health sector, yet his body is being held in a foreign country because of a medical bill,” Dr Rogo said. “The family feels abandoned,” he expressed frustration.

Dr Rogo questioned why the county or the national government have not fully assumed responsibility for the bill, given that Dr Rae was on official duty.

“What is the responsibility of the government when an officer collapses while on official work? Is Ksh16.7 million too much for a county or national government to clear?” he asked.

Dr Rogo who is a global health systems specialist, highlighted gaps in the Social Health Authority (SHA) saying the system failed to protect Dr Rae, during a medical emergency abroad. According to Rogo, the family appealed to SHA to cushion the bill but the insurer indicated that the policy does not cover officials who fall ill outside the country.

“This is an indictment of our system. If it can fail a high-level professional on official duty, then it can fail anyone,” Dr Rogo said.

Dr Rae died on December 26, leaving his widow stranded in South Korea as efforts to clear the medical bill are intensified. The ordeal has compounded the family’s grief and raised broader questions about the welfare and insurance cover of Kenyan officials deployed abroad.  

Although the Kisumu County government has assured the family of support in the repatriation process, the body can only be released once the outstanding medical bill is cleared.

Dr Rae served as JOOTRH Chief Executive Officer from 2020 to 2024 and later as Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation at the Kisumu County Department of Medical Services. He is widely credited with strengthening public healthcare systems and championing specialised care, including sickle-cell interventions.

As the stand-off over the hospital bill persists, the family says it is depending on public goodwill to bring the body of Dr Rae home for burial.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Chris Mahandara