The body of a 30 years old man who had disappeared under mysterious circumstances from the Chuka Referral Hospital has been found in the hospital morgue.
The uncle to the deceased, Ireri Mundi told KNA on phone that after searching for his nephew since Monday, the family ended up checking out the morgue, only to find the body was listed as unknown.
The deceased, Dennis Mwirigi, 30 from Mitheru in Maara sub county Tharaka Nithi county had reportedly already been taken to theatre on Monday for removal of a metal plate from his leg after which the family was unable to trace him. The plate had been implanted following a road accident in November last year, in which he broke his leg.
Speaking to KNA at her home in Mitheru Wednesday, Mwirigi’s mother Emily Kawira said her son’s leg had progressively recovered and so the removal of the plate was a welcome step towards full recovery.
“My son had only a few remaining checkups with the doctor when on Sunday, the doctor who had been attending to him called him for review,” said Kawira.
“After Mwirigi went to the hospital he told me over the phone that he had been admitted to the facility awaiting surgery to remove the metal the next day,” narrated the visibly shaken mother.
“I spoke to my son before he went into theatre so I waited for some hours before calling him later in the night and to my total dismay the phone was not picked even after several attempts. This made me have a feeling that all was not well,” said Kawira.
She disclosed that after going to Chuka Referral Hospital, they were given his crutches and phone by nurses but without any explanation on his whereabouts.
“The nurses at the hospital said they do not have any information about the patient’s whereabouts,” said Kawira.
They were however able to trace the contact of the doctor who had called Mwirigi for review using the deceased son’s phone.
“After calling the medic, he said he had the metal plate with him at Embu hospital and I could wait at the bus stage to receive it,” said the distraught mother who could not understand how the doctor could have carried the plate to Embu.
On enquiring from the doctor on phone, he sent the family back to the hospital but the hospital had no clear information on Mwirigi.
It is at this point the family started searching for Mwirigi, eventually ending up at the morgue where they found the body.
The family is now appealing to the government to assist in establishing exactly what happened at the hospital and serve justice to their departed kin.
By Kenneth Marangu and Monicah Nyagah
