Driver recounts road crash, costly treatment and journey back to work

For private-hire driver Leonard Patrick Kinyua, a routine journey turned into a medical emergency after another vehicle lost control and collided with his car.

Kinyua, who depends on driving for his livelihood, said the crash left him with fractures in both legs and placed an unexpected financial burden on his family.

“I was coming from a slope and had just started climbing when another vehicle came towards me. The driver lost control and, within seconds, the two vehicles collided,” Kinyua said. The crash also left some of his passengers injured, he added.

Kinyua was taken to a nearby mission hospital, where an X-ray showed that he had fractured both legs. He said his left leg was broken around the knee while the right leg sustained a fracture around the ankle, injuries that required surgery.

The treatment came with a high financial cost. According to Kinyua, doctors estimated that the surgery, hospitalisation and medication could cost at least Sh300,000. He said the prospect of raising the money was particularly difficult because he is the main breadwinner in his household.

“I am the breadwinner. You start wondering how your children will manage. I was facing surgery but did not have the money,” he said.

Kinyua said the hospital asked whether he was covered under the Social Health Authority (SHA) programme. He had registered and was making contributions to the Social Health Insurance Fund scheme, which he had initially done to ensure his children had health cover.

He said SHA subsequently paid Sh148,000 towards a total medical bill. Although the cover did not meet the entire cost of his treatment, Kinyua said the contribution reduced the financial pressure on his family at a time when he was unable to work.

“I never imagined that I would be the one to use SHA. SHA reduced the cost, and that reduced my worries to some extent,” he said.

His experience also highlighted the financial risks faced by some private-hire drivers, particularly those who operate without the support structures available to members of organised transport groups.

Kinyua said private-hire drivers do not necessarily have access to a Sacco or other collective support system and that some drivers may also struggle to afford additional personal accident insurance.

“For us private-hire drivers, we do not have a Sacco. Your support is mainly from the people around you. Many people may not even be able to afford personal accident cover,” he said.

Kinyua has since returned to work and said being able to resume driving has brought relief to his family.

He said the accident had also changed the way he thinks about preparing for unexpected medical emergencies.

“An accident does not tell you when it is coming,” he said.

Kinyua encouraged other drivers and members of the public to have some form of financial protection that can help them meet medical costs in the event of an emergency.

His experience, he said, reinforced the importance of having health cover before it is needed.

For Kinyua, the SHA contribution did not eliminate the financial burden associated with his injuries, but he said it helped reduce the amount his family had to meet at a time when his ability to earn an income had been disrupted.