The Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) issued a statement confirming the death of a 2-year-old boy who had been admitted to the emergency wing of the hospital with a fork jembe lodged in his skull.
The boy died on the evening of October 11, 2022, after having to wait for hours on end before any medics at the hospital could administer the correct protocols to stabilize his life.
The boy’s mother revealed that he was injured while playing with his siblings and friends near his home. One of the children got a hold of a fork jembe and chased after the other children with it before striking the 2-year-old with it.
He was immediately rushed to Thika Level V hospital. He was then considered inoperable there and had to be rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital. Upon arrival at KNH, the mother lamented how slow the medics received them claiming they were attending to a different emergency.
However, the hospital defended itself and issued this statement:
“The patient had lost a lot of blood and as a result, the clotting process was not occurring as expected, thereby, delaying the surgical procedure as this would have been dangerous to the patient. The patient has since been stabilized and is currently undergoing a delicate operation at the KNH.”
“Clinical examinations and investigations on the patient, including CT scans and blood tests, confirmed penetrating injury into the brain, brain swelling with ongoing bleeding and possible infection,” reads the statement in part.
Eventually, the doctors could restore the blood deficit in his body which enabled the clotting process to happen effectively. After that, they scheduled surgery to remove the jembe from his skull.
At the surgery table, the baby suffered complications and resuscitations attempts proved futile, as the boy lost his life.
“In theatre, the patient developed complications and resuscitations attempts were futile,” the statement read.
