The family of the late Dr. George Rae, former Chief Executive Officer, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), has expressed deep frustration over what they describe as government inaction, as the medic’s body still held in South Korea following his sudden death while on official duty.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Dr. Khama Rogo said Dr. Rae’s passing on exposed serious gaps in the protection of Kenyan officials travelling abroad.
He added that the family was struggling to raise the Sh16.7 million required to settle an outstanding hospital bill, before the body can be repatriated.
“Dr. Rae was not sick. He was well and travelled as part of an official County delegation,” Dr Rogo said, adding “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, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
The treatment cost, he said, escalated rapidly, with the total hospital bill exceeding Sh20 million.
According to Dr. Rogo, Sh3 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 Sh16.7 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 Sh16.7 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 continue.
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 continues, the family says it now relies on public goodwill to bring the body of Dr Rae home for burial.
By Chris Mahandara
