Parents claim treatment of paralysed children halted

The parents whose children's mobility was affected after being injected with compromised drugs at Akichelesit Dispensary, in Teso North Sub-County, wait for doctors' recommendation outside the clinic on July 16, 2015. They have said the physiotherapists have been were pulled away. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • As a result the children find it difficult to stand or walk, and eight have dropped out of school due to sores and severe pain in their legs.
  • The county government officials accuse the parents of not taking the children for therapy.

The parents of children who were treated for paralysis have cried out after physiotherapists assigned to them by Busia County were allegedly withdrawn, resulting in deterioration of the patients' health.

The guardians of the 21 children, who were injected in Akichelesit Dispensary in Teso North Sub-County, said the medical officers were pulled out.

As a result, they said, the children find it difficult to stand or walk, and eight have dropped out of school due to sores and severe pain in their legs.

Doctors said the children’s limbs became weak because they had been given wrong or expired drugs last year.

The parents Mr Mathew Edejai, Mr Abel Okiror, Ms Everline Amweno and Ms Pamela Amoit expressed fears that the children’s paralysis could get worse.

The therapists were allocated to the families following recommendations by doctors at Nairobi Hospital, where the children were treated on July 30, 2015.

“We have been camping at the dispensary daily from 8am for days without any help,” said Mr Edejai. 

PARENTS TO BLAME

However, county government officials accused the parents of not taking the children for therapy.

County Health Director Melisa Lutomia blamed the situation on poor communication between doctors and residents.

She said about seven children had been treated and discharged.

“The county has been supportive to the families until late last month when parents stopped bringing the children for physiotherapy. However, investigations into the complaints have begun,” she said.

Ms Amweno, whose two children were affected, said she opted to take them to a private hospital in Malaba, about nine kilometres away.

“They have been complaining of sharp pains in their legs and bones, fever and extreme headache. They can’t walk unless supported,” she said.

Mr Okiror said he withdrew his six-year-old daughter from Akichelesit Dispensary after doctors stopped the therapy. He said she suffers pains in her back.