As Uasin Gishu joined the country in celebrating the World Kidney Day 10th March 2022, it was revealed that some children suffering from kidney failure have been abandoned in the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital due to increased expense of traveling to and fro the facility.
MTRH being the only public hospital to conduct Haemodialysis and transplants services for children. With more than seventy children coming from as far as Turkana, Samburu, Siaya and Migori undergoing dialysis three times in a week, some parents have been forced to abandon the children at the institution.
“I have stayed in the hospital for the last two years to undergo dialysis two times a week. I was diagnosed with kidney failure in class seven.” says Elizabeth Nyongesa, a 15-year-old girl from Bungoma County.
As much as I miss my family, I cannot stay with them as it adds more expenses,” said
Nyongesa, who is supposed to be continuing with her high school education but it has become a challenge to continue with her education due to her condition.
“Dialysis is expensive to the families of these children, forcing them to be abandoned here. Some of them have stayed for up to five years in the hospital and no one is trying to reach out to them and when we try to reach out there is no response.” said Dr Cheptinga Kipkurui, head of Nephrology services, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.
“My appeal to the government and NHIF is to come up with a helping hand, on dialysis cost and to open up more centers to do dialysis,” said Dr Sanand Bag.
By Chepkoech Mercy
