How do you cope without a NHS? (National Health Service)

Janet is a single parent with 4 young children. About 4 months ago she developed severe malaria probably exacerbated by having too little food for herself. She was actually suffereing from acute malnutrition as well. She was taken to a local dispensary hospital which saved her life but then the rules did not allow them to release her until she had paid her Ksh 18,000/- bill ( £120). Her 2 youngest children had been allowed to stay with her but then the other 2 children joined her as they had no support.

So what could this destitute mother do? If you are lost for answers then so am I. Janet and her children had been confined to the hospital grounds but word eventually got around to the mothers' group, Acts of Mercy and they took action. A formal letter was written to the hospital governors who immediately convenied a special meeting. They agreed with Acts of Mercy and released Janet and waved her unpaid bill.

Getting Janet home was therefore solved but to an empty house! So immediately a well-wisher looked after them and fed them and then Tom Bilo delivered 4 large SSF bags of food for their immediate needs. But local help does not stop there as plans are now in place for new blankets and more food bags until this family can start to look after itself again.

Until the COVID pandemic, UK citizens could have taken our fantastic NHS service a bit for granted. We have grown up with it and it is ours! But this short account really brings home how lucky we are and how fantastic an instituition it is, Not forgetting to mention, our amazing doctors, nurses and other staff!! We really must cherish it and hope that those in other countries can develop systems that can rival it.

SSF providing money for food is fairly straightforward in a situation like this but what others in this community have done for this family really has to be admired including the hosptal governors who made such a rapid decision in reply to the intercession on behalf of the Acts of Mercy letter.