Patients in Kenyatta Hospital surgery mix-up speak out

Kenyatta National Hospital. The two patients involved in the surgical mix-up at the hospital are on the way to recovery, the Nation has learnt. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• The one who had blood clots in the brain said he developed the complications after he was knocked down by a motorbike.
• The patient said he was taken to a nearby clinic by Good Samaritans where he spent the night.
• Family members who visited him at the clinic took him to another hospital in Kasarani.

By AGGREY OMBOKI
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The two patients involved in the surgical mix-up at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) are on the way to recovery, the Nation has learnt.

In an exclusive interview, the patients, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their privacy, on Tuesday told the Nation they are improving.

KNOCKED DOWN

“I’m feeling much better now as compared to the time when I was first brought into the facility,” said the patient who had blood clots in the brain.

According to him, he developed the complications after he was knocked down by a motorbike a few metres from his Kahawa West residence.

“I was crossing the road at around 7pm when a speeding motorbike hit me. The impact left me unconscious,” he said.

The patient said he was taken to a nearby clinic by Good Samaritans where he spent the night.

Family members who visited him at the clinic took him to another hospital in Kasarani, St Francis Hospital, from where he was taken to KNH.

He said doctors at KNH recommended he undergoes surgery.

He was to spend a night at the country’s largest referral facility awaiting surgery, which unfortunately never happened only to hear from relatives that someone else had been wrongly operated on.

“I didn’t even see the other patient and cannot recognise him since we’ve not officially met since the mishap occurred,” said the patient, who does several jobs on contract for a living.

PAIN

He said doctors had opted to prescribe medication instead of operating on him.

On the other hand, the other patient, who was mistakenly operated on, said he was recovering.

“I’m feeling better, although there is slight pain from the post-operative wounds,” he said.

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We could not carry out a comprehensive interview with the patient as the ward nurses told us to leave once they realised we were reporters interviewing him.

“You cannot talk to the patient without authority from the hospital management,” a nurse told the Nation team.

Both patients expect to be discharged soon.

Their accounts appear to confirm statements by the hospital management that they are in stable condition.