Kakamega family’s agony as son cries for medical help

KAKAMEGA: A seven-year-old boy is crying for medical assistance after he developed a medical complication following attempts by his siblings to remove his aching milk teeth.

Daniel Ouma suffers from a condition referred to in medical terms as rhabdomyosarcoma (soft tissue cancer), which he developed soon after his siblings uprooted five of his teeth.

Daniel's father David Ochokolo says his last-born child had complained of toothache last year prompting his sibling to remove them.

His efforts to seek medical help for his son have been met with a lot of challenges.

Most hospitals he has been to have not been able to treat his son.

NO MONEY

"I have been to Alupe District Hospital but they could not manage it, they referred me to Busia District Hospital. He has been receiving eye treatment but the situation has been worsening each day," Mr Ochokolo said.

At the district hospital, the young Daniel was referred to Kakamega County Referral Hospital where he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma.

But the hospital lacks facilities and equipment to treat cancer related complications and he was referred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret.

Dr Protus Oketch, a senior surgeon at Kakamega County Referral Hospital, said the hospital is unable to manage cancer due to lack of facilities.

"The boy is suffering from a cancer related complication. He was referred to MTRH for specialised medication because the hospital has equipment that will show the stage of cancer and direct on the kind of medication needed," said Dr Oketch.

But the family has no money to pay at MTRH and is appealing to well-wishers for help.