After months of wallowing in bitter silence, one distraught mother has decided to shed light concerning the death of his son, once a form three student at Maranda High School.
Anita Daniels took it upon herself to explain through social media the fact that she buried her son, Christian Kiplagat, three months ago after he became ill at school and died as a result of what she believes was school negligence after being transferred at a hospital in Eldoret.
Anita accuses the school of neglecting the young boy when he fell ill noting the school delayed his transfer to a medical facility in Bondo, and lied to her that he was responding well to treatment when actually he was doing badly.
Anita narrated how she was at her home when she received a call from one of the Maranda High School teachers informing her that her son was ill and had been transferred to a facility in Bondo Township where he was receiving treatment.
“His class teacher called me and told me that Christian had been admitted to Haven Hospital in Bondo having been diagnosed with Malaria and Bacterial blood infection and Meningitis. I asked the teacher to give him the phone so that I could talk to him, of which she told me she had left the hospital as she was invigilating exams, that I could talk to him later in the evening,” Anita narrated.
When she mentioned going to Bondo to check on her son, the teacher said he was fine and she should not bother going all the way there. Her maternal instincts took over, and she insisted on going to Bondo and when she got there, she was shocked that her son was in a bad state.
“I was terrified at the sight of my son, the boy was seriously sick. He was lying in bed, head hanging down, and the head was swollen. We asked him how he was feeling and when he knew who I was, he cried and said, “mum kichwa inaniuma sana na shingo”.
Anita was informed by the clinical officer who was attending to him that her son had malaria and blood infection and that further tests on the kidney were recommended due to the swelling on his face.
Anita requested a transfer to a facility in Eldoret, but the clinical officer and Maranda High School insisted that the boy was doing well and that transferring him was unnecessary. She insisted, and after two hours, they were on their way to Eldoret for Christian’s specialized treatment in Eldoret at 6pm.
The mother added that, on their way out of the Bondo facility, the guard at the gate told Anita that her son had been brought in on a motorcycle in a bad state. She says that apparently Christian had fallen ill two days early but was given painkillers and kept in the dormitory. She then added that this was negligence by the school.
Upon the arrival at Eldoret Hospital the son was immediately put on oxygen then taken to the emergency section. A few moments later, he died while receiving treatment, as his dad and mum helplessly watched.
“We did an autopsy and the results showed that Christian died of severe bacterial meningitis which ought to have been treated within the first 14 hours of onset of headaches,” said Anita.
“My question is, how qualified are the nurses/medics employed in our boarding schools? How safe are our children in boarding school? Because had Christian been attended to early enough, I could not even be writing this.”
Anita deeply encouraged parents whose children are in boarding schools to take it upon themselves to check on their children once they are informed about their ailment regardless of the message being relayed by the school. She went on further and said that parents should encourage their children to speak out whenever they want to seek medical attention.
By Pacifica Mochama
