Lamu pupil attacked by buffalo dies for lack of treatment

A 13-year-old pupil who was attacked by a buffalo in Lamu has died due lack of treatment in public hospitals as a result of the ongoing doctors’ strike.

Hassan Muzamil Ali, who was a Standard Six pupil at Vipingoni Primary School in Lamu County was attacked by the wild animal while returning from school on Tuesday last week.

He succumbed to his injuries on Sunday due to lack of medical attention.

His father, Abdulrahman Ali, unsuccessfully sought X-ray services from two counties while his son’s health deteriorated as there was no doctor to attend to him.

“We rushed my son to Mpeketoni Sub-County Hospital. However, we were referred to Malindi Sub-District Hospital for an X-ray to ascertain the extent of the injuries.

“On reaching the hospital, we were told it was full so we had to come to Mombasa for the X-ray.

“We tried getting help in public hospitals but we never got any help so we went to a private hospital,” he added.

PRIVATE HOSPITAL ASKS FOR SH50,000

He said they took the injured boy to a public hospital because they did not have money to take him to a private one.

He said one private hospital in Mombasa was asking for Sh50,000 for the X-ray.

At Mewa Hospital in Mombasa, an X-ray showed his son had gastritis.

“After the X-ray we travelled back to Mpeketoni Sub-County Hospital using an ambulance as instructed by the health workers.

“But my son succumbed to his injuries on Sunday at the hospital.

“Had we not travelled back and forth in search of X-ray services, my son would have been recuperating,” he added.

Meanwhile, patients have started trickling back to private clinics run by consultants which had been shut down since last Thursday in solidarity with striking doctors working in public hospitals.