I slept with a doctor to pay hospital bill

Image by Al Jazeera

In Nairobi City, amidst the bustling streets and towering skyscrapers, lies a tale of desperation and betrayal that shatters the illusion of trust in the healthcare system. Nancy, a woman burdened with the weight of a devastating diagnosis, found herself thrust into a nightmare that would haunt her for years to come.

"It's a story I never wanted to tell," Nancy confesses, her voice trembling with emotion. "But the truth must come to light."

Diagnosed with breast cancer in the unforgiving year of 2011, Nancy's world crumbled beneath her feet as she faced the daunting prospect of treatment. Admitted to one of Nairobi's prestigious hospitals, she clung to hope as doctors promised to heal her ravaged body.

Yet, hope came with a price tag she couldn't afford.

As the bills piled higher and higher, like a mountain of unattainable dreams, Nancy found herself drowning in a sea of debt. Unable to pay for her life-saving treatment, she teetered on the brink of despair, her future hanging in the balance.

And then, the unthinkable happened.

"The doctor, a figure of trust and authority, approached me with a proposition," Nancy reveals, her words heavy with shame. "He offered to erase my debt in exchange for something far more precious."

Forced to make a choice no woman should ever have to face, Nancy succumbed to the doctor's demands, trading her dignity for a chance at survival. Night after night, she lay in that sterile hospital bed, her body a battleground of pain and betrayal.

"It was a violation of the worst kind," Nancy confesses, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I felt trapped, with no other option but to comply."

And so, Nancy's journey through the hallowed halls of medicine became a nightmare of exploitation and degradation, a stark reminder of the dark underbelly that lurks beneath the façade of healing.

Yet, despite the horrors she endured, Nancy emerged from the depths of despair with a newfound resolve. She refuses to be silenced by shame, her story a rallying cry for justice and accountability in a world where the vulnerable are too often preyed upon by the powerful.

As she stands before the world, her voice ringing with defiance, Nancy's confession serves as a stark warning: in the fight against disease, no one should ever have to sacrifice their dignity for the sake of survival.