Three-year-old girl in West Pokot found with seven needles in her body

Baby found with seven needles in her abdomen in West Pokot.

Seven hand sewing needles were found lodged in the body of a three-year-old girl in West Pokot County.

The baby from Keringet village had been taken to Kapenguria referral hospital on Tuesday with stomach pains.

Doctors conducted an X-ray that confirmed that she had seven needles in her abdomen.

She has been living with her grandparents, Mrs Emily Linga’a and Mr John Lingaa. They said the girl had been ailing over the past two years but they were not aware of what was causing her sickness.

Her grandmother Mrs Emily Linga’a said they had no idea how the needles got into her abdomen in the first place.

She added that they have been treating their granddaughter with pain killers as she always complained of stomach pains, coughs and high temperatures.

The baby's mother left the girl with her grandparents after she got married to another man. The girl is from another relationship.

She said she took the baby to Keringet dispensary after the baby’s pain became unbearable and that is when she was referred to Kapenguria referral hospital to seek further medication.

“At first, I thought the baby had worms. It was unimaginable that she had needles in her body. I had even concluded that may be she had malaria,” she said.

The poor family now says it has no money for the treatment of the child after the doctors referred her to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) Eldoret for urgent surgery so that the needles can be extracted.

 “I was shocked to learn of the needles in her body after the X-ray and wondered how they got inside the child’s body,” she said.

The grandfather Mr John Lingaa who does menial jobs said he was traumatized by the doctors report as he pleaded to well-wishers to help their grandchild undergo surgery.

Speaking to the press in his Kapenguria office, County Health Chief officer Mr. Ibrahim Longolomoi said it was the first case of that nature to be reported at the hospital and suspected the child could have been mistreated.

He said the baby had too much pain when palpitating thus the doctors decided to conduct an X-ray when the needles were observed.

“We are baffled with such a case and surprised how the baby could survive with needles in her body. Five needles are in the belly and two on the back side. The police officers have also interrogated the grandparents and they have commenced investigations,” he said.

He added that medics who recommended for further treatment established that the needles were inserted in the child’s body, rather than swallowing them.

Longolomoi said the case was referred so that the baby girl can be handled better.

The child is however stable and she has been referred to MTRH Eldoret for a surgery to remove the needles.