The Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has denied claims of negligence after photos of a child with a fork jembe lodged in his head went viral on social media on Tuesday, October 11.
The family had claimed that the hospital failed to treat the boy’s case as an emergency delaying an operation to remove the fork from the minor’s head for nearly 24 hours, eliciting an angry reaction from netizens.
KNH, in a statement, however, said the procedure was delayed to stabilize the boy who was losing a lot of blood.
“The patient had lost a lot of blood and as a result, the clotting process was not occurring as expected, thereby, delaying the surgical procedure as this would have been dangerous to the patient,” the hospital clarified.
KNH allays fears
The hospital also allayed fears that the boy is in danger, saying he has since been stabilised and is undergoing the delicate operation at the facility.
“The patient has since been stabilized and is currently undergoing a delicate operation in KNH theatres,” KNH added.
“We thank you for your concern and we assure you that the child is under the best care by our teams.”
Our attention has been drawn to the story circulating online regarding a child admitted at KNH with a fork lodged in his skull. We wish to assure members of the public as follows:
— Kenyatta National Hospital (@KNH_hospital) October 11, 2022
The boy is said to have been playing with other children at their home when he was hit with the jembe.
He was rushed to Thika Level V Hospital, where medical personnel administered first aid, before referring him to the city hospital.
