A man abandoned his four-year-old anaemic son at Baringo County Referral Hospital in Kabarnet town on Friday.
Nursing officer-in-charge Rosina Kiptarus said the child is called Nakurwe Nderebo and is a Pokot. He is from the remote Napukut village in Silale ward, about 100km from Chemolingot town in Tiaty subcounty.
He was admitted on Monday.
“The man, who is believed to be the child's father, protested and left his sick son unattended in the hospital bed,” Kiptarus said.
She said the man fled after he was informed his child, who is suffering from acute leukaemia, was to be transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
“He had earlier attempted to sneak away with the child but security officers convinced him [to take the child] back. He then decided to disappear alone,” Kiptarus said.
She said the hospital did not capture the father's name during admission. “This is something for which we should apologise as a hospital. It will never happen again,” Kiptarus said.
Clinical officer Andrew Kangogo said the child is coughing and has a fever.
“He regained consciousness after we transfused him with one unit of blood but he needed further check-up and specialised treatment elsewhere,” he said.
Kangogo said acute leukaemia is treatable if diagnosed early.
The child is currently under the care of Good Samaritan Irene Kimoriot, a woman from Kabartonjo, Baringo North subcounty, who is nursing her sick child in the same ward.
Kimoriot, a Tugen, said communicating with the child is a challenge. She said the child hardly sleeps at night as he sweats profusely and frequently asks for drinking water.
“I offered to feed, wash and help him turn in as we wait for his parent to return,” she said.
Kiptarus urged residents to help locate the missing parent. She blamed illiteracy and a little misunderstanding for the parent's decision to run away.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya