Man who ‘died twice’: Case for negligence as Kericho family demands answers from hospital

When Covid-19 pandemic reached our shores last year, strange things happened across the nation.

A man who had been presumed dead miraculously ‘came back to life’ at Kapkatet Sub-county Hospital mortuary in Kericho, a few hours later. He started screaming as morticians prepared to embalm him.

Peter Kigen, 32, eventually died ‘for good’ 10 days later at Kericho County Referral Hospital while undergoing treatment. A year later, the family is still seeking answers as regards the manner in which their loved one was treated.

The widow, Ms Faith Cherotich, was left with the burden of raising a family of six, but believes things could have been a lot different had doctors diagnosed Kigen’s ailment at the right time. She accuses health practitioners of medical negligence and wants someone to take responsibility.

Kigen had collapsed at home in Ketengeret village in Bureti Constituency with a stomach problem. When they got to hospital, a nurse reportedly declared him dead, setting off an unfortunate chain of events.

Now Ms Cherotich feels abandoned by the government, saying her husband was the sole breadwinner. Two of their children are in secondary school while three are in primary.

“My husband was declared dead, only for morgue attendants to discover he was alive. The manner in which he was handled at the ward and later transferred to the referral hospital for specialised attention is suspect.

“Relatives, friends and neighbours conducted a fundraising for burial and medical bills. I haven’t heard from the county or national government since then, save for a letter that invited me to appear before the Senate Committee on Health,” she told the Nation.

Ms Cherotich did not attend the Senate meeting. She had travelled to Kapkatet hospital, where she had been called to a day before the meeting, only to be advised to travel to Nairobi. Unfortunately, she had no bus fare. The meeting was eventually held virtually on September 22.

“The hospital administration is kindly requesting you to identify and inform the next of kin to accompany the medical superintendent and other personnel to Nairobi on September 21. The county will cater for transport and accommodation,” Dr Gilbert Cheruiyot, the medical superintendent, stated in an invitation letter on September 17.

Ms Cherotich said it was, however, delivered on September 20.

“I understand the meeting was held and resolutions passed, which I have not been briefed on. No one has contacted me and I do not know how to go about presenting my position on this matter,” she said.

“All I want is justice to be done and someone to take responsibility. I cannot afford to educate my children as I am a casual laborer. I pluck tea in the neighborhood or weed farms for a fee.”

Mr Daniel Yumbya, the chief executive of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), said the hospital management should apologise to the family. The council has also demanded that it establishes Standing Operating Procedures to stop a recurrence.

KMPDC said disciplinary action should be taken against those found culpable of professional negligence. It followed a statement requested by Senator Falhada Iman on under-reporting of cases of negligence at the hospital.

Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony said investigations carried out had absolved medics at the hospital from any wrongdoing.

He instead faulted the family for allegedly wheeling the patient to the mortuary “on the presumption of death”, without any certification by clinical officers on duty.

“The patient was taken to Kapkatet hospital by relatives at around 7.30 am on the material date using a motor vehicle registration KCJ 077M. The people in the vehicle claimed they were bringing in a dead body for preservation at a mortuary where a security officer directed them to the casually for confirmation of death,” said Professor Chepkwony.

“The mortician at the morgue received the alleged dead body wrapped in a blanket from head to toe. On unwrapping and trying to undress the body, only to realise it had signs of life.”

The patient was moved to the casualty department, where resuscitation commenced. He was later admitted to the ward after being stabilised.

“He was found to be with a Glasgow coma scale of three, severely wasted, cyanosed, pupils slowly reacting to light, blood pressure un-recordable, oxygen saturation, random blood sugar was not recordable,” the report stated.

He was treated for six days and later transferred to the referral hospital for a surgical review and further management.

“Unfortunately, the patient died on transit on December 3. The body was moved to the mortuary,” said Professor Chepkwony said. A post-mortem carried out by Dr Titus Ngulungu on December 8 showed Kigen died of natural causes.

The doctor said the body was severely dehydrated, wasted, and the stomach distended. “None of the medical staff at Kapkatet erroneously certified Mr Kigen dead given that it is the relatives who rushed him to the morgue before certification of death by the clinicians,” he stated.

The committee has called for further investigations.

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