Two Mwingi children die of Kal Azaar in Garissa

Two Kitui children from Ngomeni ward, Mwingi North, have succumbed to Kal Azaar disease at the Garissa Level 5 Hospital.

At least 12 others, mostly aged below 10, and two adults are still at the hospital after they contracted the disease. Those infected live along the Kitui-Tana River border in Mandongoi, Ngomano and Tseikuru.

The tropical disease is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world after malaria. It is caused by sandflies, which mostly stay in anthills.

The nursing officer at the hospital, Abdullahi Abdi, said the number of patients is the highest they have ever recorded from Kitui.

“In a month, we record two to three patients, but this time the patients from Kitui are more and we have lost two children so far,” he said.

Phillip Mutemi, a doctor at Garissa facility, said symptoms of the disease include a swollen stomach, fever, loss of hair and lack of appetite.

Regina Kasyoka, a mother of three, lost her four-year-old child to the disease.

"My three children were infected; one of them was discharged. The secondborn is here with me in hospital, while my lastborn, a four-year-old, passed on three days ago,” she said.

Kasyoka said the body of her child is still at the hospital's mortuary as she is unable to ferry it home for burial as hospital bills had drained all her savings.

Many others are in a near-similar predicament and have blamed lack of drugs in Kitui facilities for their problems, a claim dismissed by the county government official. 

Japheth Kavali son's stomach swelled six months ago. He was admitted to Tseikuru Hospital but later transferred to Mwingi Level 4 Hospital where he was told that there were no drugs. They then sought treatment in Garissa. Kavali is from Masyunga area of Tseikuru ward. 

"Doctors in Garissa have been helpful as I can see some change as the disease has disturbed my six-year-old son for six months now,” Kavali said.

He, however, expressed concern that getting medication from a place as far as Garissa is expensive and urged Kitui leaders to step up efforts to provide medicines in all health facilities.

Also grappling with the problem was Peris Joseph whose 22-year-old son was admitted to the facility for two months. He was the first Kitui patient to get to the referral hospital after his stomach swelled. Peris said before the actual cause was identified, she had incurred a lot of expenses at the facility.

Nathan Muthui, another parent, urged the Kitui government to ensure camels that have "crossed into Kitui county are herded back to Tana River as co-existing with them has proved disturbing".

“We urge the Kitui government to equip all health facilities with medications so that it can be cheap for everyone facing this challenge that is mostly affecting our children,” he said.

Nathan lamented that staying at the hospital is expensive as they have to incur lab and daily bed charges. “Most affected people who cannot afford the treatment at home have resorted to using herbs,” he said.

Antony Muthui, a Ngomeni resident, brought his son to the facility a month ago. He first sought help from Mwingi Level 4 Hospital where his son underwent abdominal checkups though he was later told that there was no medication.

“My child was weak before we got here, but his health has since improved,” Antony said.

He, like many other Kitui residents, pleaded with the Kitui government provide drugs in hospitals to promote affordable care.

Peter Muthengi, also from Ngomeni, decried the high examination fee, which he said ranges from Sh500 to Sh2,500. His five-year-old daughter was admitted to the hospital.

“We feel abandoned. We plead with the Kitui county government to come to our rescue,” he said.

Muthengi termed it is shameful for Kitui residents to receive treatment in Garissa, yet their county has hospitals.

Ngomeni MCA Eliud Mutati, who had visited the patients, said the issue of camels "causing havoc in Kitui had become too much".

He expressed concern that young children have to undergo excruciating pain. The ward representative, himself a member of the county assembly Health committee, said they recently passed a supplementary budget, including an allocation to the health docket, hence it was surprising that hospitals had no medicines. Speaking to the patients, he turned to divine intervention.

“Do not worry, my people; God will heal you,” he told the patients.

A health worker at the facility said most of the victims are vulnerable.

“The cost of preventing Leishmaniasis is cheaper than the treatment and I urge the Kitui county government to ensure treatment is done in Kitui for easier and cheaper services,” the employee said.

He also cited reports that another patient had succumbed to the disease at home.

Kitui assembly Heath committee chairman Phillip Nguli said Sh100 million was allocated to the Health department to cater for utilities in three level-4 and 11 level-3B hospitals across the county. This was part of the supplementary budget passed in April.

However, Kitui Health and Sanitation chief officer Richard Muthoka said he had received information concerning the patients in Garissa and had sent a surveillance team to appraise the situation.

Despite claims of lack of drugs in Kitui facilities, Dr Muthoka questioned why the patients sought treatment in Garissa, yet Kitui has so many hospitals.

“When they are in Garissa, we cannot intervene in how they are managed and have to bear treatment costs. Kitui County Health Insurance Cover only addresses cases of patients seeking treatment within Kitui,” he said.

He added that medications for the disease are given freely by the national government and the county government only needs to notify the national government to be supplied.

“Who said there are no drugs? We just need to alert the national government to send the medications after the cases are reported and, in a day, we begin attending to the patients,” Muthoka said. 

“I do not know who is advising them to seek treatment in Garissa; maybe it is because the cases are rampant in Garissa and management is better — which to some extent it is not right."