Senate begin probe on death of 2-year-old Travis Maina

The Senate Health Committee has started probe on the death of 2-year-old Travis Maina who died at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) with a forked jembe lodged into his head.

In the meeting held yesterday, Uasin Gishu county senator who is also the committee chair said it had set up procedures that will help establish lapses that might have caused the minor’s death.

Mandago also said the committee’s findings endeavor to look at policy issues, especially in the health facilities that handled the deceased’s case and initiate whether there was negligence that led to the child’s passing.

“The Committee during the meeting resolved to further inquire on the said matter by inviting several witnesses, among them, parents of the deceased, Thika Level 5 Hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital to establish circumstances that might have led to the passing on of the minor,” read a statement from the committee.

The baby’s mother Judith Muthoni, a witness in the investigation, recounted how she watched her son battle with pain for 14 hours before he was taken to the theatre.

They had arrived at KNH at 6.30 pm on October 11 but not attended to until the next day at 1 pm when the baby was taken to the theatre.

She narrated how she could not raise the Sh20,000 that was required by the hospital but she could only at the time afford the Sh1,260 admission fee from the 1,650 she managed to borrow.

Her sister, Lucy Muthoni, told the committee that the child was received at the emergency department but had to wait till 10 pm to be seen by the doctor who only put a bandage on the child’s head.

“At room 4, the doctor was just dusting the table and casually asked if I had Sh, 20,500 for the surgery. I told him that we didn’t have that kind of money, but wanted the child to be treated first. We sat holding the baby the whole night,” Lucy narrated.

“We went to ask what was happening and were told that there was another emergency they were working on and so we had to wait,” she added.

The committee heard that that even after taking the child to the theatre, it took more than two hours for the surgery to begin.

The Health Committee has also resolved to look keenly at the Universal Health Care program.