Medics, not superhuman, suffer just like us

The burial of Dr Stephen Mogusu at his home in Iranda village, Kisii County last year after he died of Covid-19. Some doctors have cited witnessing Covid-19 take away their colleagues as something that traumatised them and increased anxiety. [Denish Ochieng’, Standard]

Like most of us, medics also suffer mental breakdowns from dealing with traumatic events and tear-jerking medical cases exacerbated by long, odd working hours. Though the general public perceives medics as superhuman, the recent case of James Gakara, who was found dead in his house in Nakuru alongside his two children in September, drew attention to the vagaries of mental stress in the profession.

The other case was that of Lydia Wahura, who died by suicide at a Kenyatta National Hospital parking in June. The 35-year-old postgraduate medical student at the University of Nairobi had even notified close family and friends of her intentions: “I am so so so so sorry but I don’t expect forgiveness,” read her suicide note. I am scared of dying, but I am more scared of living...life is not what I expected.”