Cry for justice over baby’s mystery death

A family from Keroka is seeking answers from Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital after their 14-month-old baby died under unclear circumstances.

Baby Jennifer Kemunto had a growth in her nostril and was to undergo surgery before she died last week.

The child's father, Mr Kefa Nyamari, said her daughter was in good health when she was accompanied by her mother, Ms Evelyn Nyanchama, to the hospital for the minor surgery last Tuesday.

The little girl was admitted to the hospital’s ward eight in readiness for the surgery the following day.

"She had some growths in her nose that cause nasal congestion. They were more problematic during the cold season, and she could not breath properly," he said.

NO REASON

Mr Nyamari said after several visits to the facility, doctors had recommended surgery.

On Wednesday around noon, the little girl was wheeled into the theatre and a dose of anaesthesia was administered to her.

But the father said the girl did not undergo the operation for reasons not given to the family.

“I became suspicious when my daughter took long at the theatre. A similar surgery for my first born son aged four took only 30 minutes,” he said.

The baby's mother said after some hours at the theatre, the baby was wheeled to the Intensive Care unit by some hospital staff in a suspicious manner, which she suspects was aimed at preventing her from seeing the condition of her child.

BEGGED STAFF

Ms Nyanchama said the hospital staff did not explain why they had not performed surgery on her daughter, and why she had been moved to the ICU.

“They kept telling me she was well. After some time, I grabbed one of the staff and begged to know if my child was alive. I was told her chest had developed complications after drugs reacted prior to the operation,” she said.

At the ICU, the baby had tubes in her mouth and nose.

The mother said the family was warned against taking photos of their child.

Ms Nyanchama said she called some of her close relatives on Wednesday evening after she became anxious, but they could also not do much as they were told the baby was under good care.

NASAL CONGESTION

The girl remained at the ICU up to Friday night when relatives demanded to know about her well-being.

“After a long struggle with the hospital staff, they finally broke the news to us. My daughter was no more. She walked into the hospital healthy, but she never woke up again,” she said.

Mr Nyamari said what pains them most is the fact that the hospital kept taking them in circles when they demanded to know the fate of their daughter.

“It pains me that my lovely baby now lies at the morgue. I did not know that the planned minor surgery could lead her to death. If I had known this, she would have just remained with her nasal congestion, which was manageable,” he said.

They suspect the drug reaction may have been caused by an overdose of anaesthesia.

POLICE STATION

“We want to know what went wrong. It is very painful to lose a child in such a manner,” said the girl’s grandfather, Mr Charles Omwansa.

 Efforts to get a comment from the hospital did not bear fruit as most administrators were not in. CEO Enock Ondari said he could not comment on the matter as he was on leave. The family has reported the matter at Kisii police station under OB number 73/16/6/2018.

They have reported the death of their daughter under unclear circumstances at Kisii police station

LEGAL ACTION

“It is true that the family reported the matter at Kisii police station. The story is that they took the kid to hospital, where she was to be operated on her nose, but she never woke up,” said Kisii County acting police commander Maurice Asila in a phone interview.

Mr Asila said the case has been handed over to the investigative department. “We are following up the matter,” he said.

They family says it will take legal action against the hospital if it does not come clear on how the death occurred.

A label over the head of the toddler’s lifeless body which had been transferred to the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary indicated that she died of cardiopulmonary arrest.

DEVASTATED

 The couple has now been left with their four-year old son who is physically impaired. He too had nasal blockage but was successfully operated on at the same facility.

“We had hoped that the operation would be successful just like that of her brother. We had very high hopes in her and looked forward on her taking care of her physically impaired brother when grown up. But this was not to be. She did not wake up again from the theatre,” says Mr Nyamari.

“I am very devastated that such fate befell my granddaughter. It is very painful,” he says.