By Albert Nyakundi
A newborn baby boy has been amputated his right leg and left hand after a vaccination injection went wrong.
The boy was vaccinated against BCG and polio at Kihara sub county hospital, Kiambu County.
The baby boy is 2 months old.
His mother Leah Waithera said Austin Njoroge was born a normal baby on February 7, 2019 through caesarian section at the hospital.
According to hospital documents, Baby Austin and his mother were discharged on February 10 and the mother was instructed to return the baby for vaccination the following day.
She says after the injection the baby’s hand and leg turned pale and extremely cold.
“On 12th February, the hand which was injected became cold and dehydrated. We took him back to the hospital and I informed them about the new twist of events.” she said.
Nurses at Kihara sub county hospital tried to remove blood samples from the baby’s hand to test the level of blood sugar and no blood was found.
She said they however used the same needle and managed to remove blood from the right leg.
The infant was immediately referred to Kiambu Level 5 hospital.
The child upon arrival was urgently referred to Kenyatta National Hospital where he was admitted on February 14 and discharged on April 4 according to the hospital documents.
At Kenyatta National hospital, Consultants Dr Okumu, Dr Nderitu and Dr Oburu observed that baby Austin was sick -looking, had right foot discoloration, was not breastfeeding, his right mid leg and left hand had dry gangrene.
According to a KNH doctor who sought anonymity, dry gangrene means dead tissue.
The doctor said that it’s because some tissues in the leg and the hand were not functioning, the nerves were no working thus the need to amputate the hand and the leg.
“As a parent, it’s painful. I am desperate and I feel like I don’t deserve to be alive seeing my firstborn, a baby boy suffering yet he was born a normal child.” Waithera sobbed.
Contacted, Kiambu County health executive Mary Kamau did not respond to text messages sent to her phone.
Waithera has appealed to the ministry of health to investigate the matter expeditiously so that her son can get justice.
“I got sick while at Kenyatta and I was admitted at the same facility with my son. I want the doctors to explain everything that transpired. What will I tell my son when he grows up and he asks about his leg and hand? It pains me.” She sobbed.
Medics from Kiambu county hospitals have recently been in the limelight for wrong reasons including misdiagnosis that led to the death of a baby and mysterious deaths of 60 infants within one month.
The father Peter Gitonga is a plumber and said he has never been to work since the predicament.
He added that he is the sole breadwinner.
“I have been stressed all through. I have never gone to look for work since this unfortunate incident happened to my young family. I hope justice will prevail soon.” Gitonga said.
In early 2016, at least 30 children were paralysed after being injected at a dispensary in Busia.
The children received an anti malaria injection at Akichelesit Dispensary in Busia County