The Senate Standing Committee on Health Monday launched a probe into the death of a two-year-old boy who had a fork jembe lodged in his head for over 24 hours.
It was an emotional session as the mother recounted the circumstances leading to the death of his son Travis Maina who died at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) on October 11, 2022.
Judy Muthoni said her son died as a result of negligence by doctors at the largest referral and teaching hospital in the country. An emotional Muthoni, a casual laborer who was accompanied by Evelyn Ogendo a government psychiatrist said her son died because she is poor.
Similar sentiments were echoed by her sister Lucy Muthoni, who broke down as she told the committee chaired by Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago, of their frustrations in seeking treatment. In between sobs, Lucy revealed that the hospital asked for Ksh20,500 instead of acting swiftly to save such a young life.
“ We could not move around with the baby, so I left Travis with the mum at the casualty to follow up on treatment. The receptionist sent me to room 4, where I found a rude medic who did not bother to hear me out as I explained the boy’s condition, all he demanded was I deposit Ksh20,500 which we didn’t have” she explained.
“ I went back to the receptionist who insisted I take a photo of the boy and show the medic in room 4. I did exactly that and finally, he filled out a treatment form after I pleaded. Hours later a doctor came and to our shock, we never got admitted as expected. All he did was administer IV fluids as we waited at the casualty the whole night” she added.
The hospital, in a statement, refuted the allegations claiming they treated the boy’s case as an emergency but delayed surgery for nearly 24 hours because of bleeding.
“The ability of the patient’s blood to clot was impaired, requiring correction before any surgical intervention, a critical process that delayed the surgery” the hospital explained.
The patient succumbed to injuries in the theatre after developing complications, an incident that elicited immediate outrage among netizens.
The Committee has invited several witnesses, among them Thika Level 5 Hospital where the minor was first attended, and Kenyatta National Hospital.
Additional reporting by Kevin Wachira
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