colokeba 
Emergency at AAR Hospital
The death of gospel singer Betty Bayo has left many Kenyans shocked and heartbroken, with serious questions being raised about how private hospitals, especially AAR Hospital, handle emergencies.
According to close friends and witnesses, Betty became seriously ill in the middle of the night and was rushed to AAR Hospital along Kiambu Road.
It was around 2 a.m. when her family arrived, desperate for help.
Reports say that doctors suspected she had a burst vein in her head, something that required urgent medical attention.
However, instead of being treated immediately, her family was asked to pay a large deposit before she could be admitted.
The demand for payment delayed her treatment for several hours, and by the time a deposit of about 260,000 shillings was paid around 6 a.m., her condition had worsened.
Treatment Delay Raises Questions
Betty had been living with leukemia for some time, a disease that affects the blood and weakens the body. Her close friends, including gospel artist Ben Githae, said that after the delay at AAR, she was later transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital, where she passed away on Monday.
The events at AAR Hospital have sparked outrage, especially after online users like Francis Gaitho accused the facility of prioritizing payment over saving lives.
He described private hospitals such as AAR as “predatory” and “extortionist,” calling for urgent reforms in the healthcare system.
Deposit Demands and Patient Access
Kenyans on social media have been questioning why AAR Hospital would ask for such a huge deposit when Betty was in a life-threatening state and reportedly had insurance through the Social Health Authority.
Many people argued that the hospital’s actions were unfair and possibly unethical.
Others pointed out that even with insurance, AAR and other hospitals still demand upfront payments, making emergency care hard to access for patients without large sums of money at hand. Some users even claimed that AAR gives priority to “well-connected” or “wealthy” patients, suggesting that ordinary citizens face delays when seeking care.
Inconsistent Emergency Procedures
While a few defended AAR Hospital, saying that each case is handled differently, even they admitted that there seems to be no standard policy for emergencies.
One man said that when he took a patient there, treatment started before payment, but later a deposit was required.
This inconsistency has raised concerns about fairness, transparency, and accountability in private healthcare.
Betty’s death has highlighted the deep cracks in Kenya’s health system and renewed debate on how AAR and similar hospitals handle critical cases. Many Kenyans depend on private hospitals because public ones are often crowded or poorly equipped. Yet, when private hospitals focus on money before care, lives are put at risk.
Public Demand for Accountability
Outrage over the AAR incident has grown, with many Kenyans urging the Ministry of Health to investigate how the hospital handled Betty’s case.
Critics say that if the hospital had prioritized treatment over payment, her life might have been saved. Gaitho also blamed poor leadership, arguing that officials who defend such practices have ignored the suffering of ordinary citizens.
A Reminder for Reform
Betty’s death has become a symbol of what many describe as a broken system. Hospitals like AAR are being urged to review their emergency response policies to ensure that no patient dies while waiting for payment.
Her story is a painful reminder that healthcare should put humanity before profit.
As Kenyans mourn the loss of a beloved artist, they are also demanding that AAR Hospital and others change how they handle emergencies so that no family has to endure the same pain again.
