Robert Kariuki a Covid-19 patient has come out to narrate his life-threatening ordeal with the deadly virus after he could find an empty hospital in Nairobi to admit him.
To Robert, it all began with when she fell sick and suspected to be pneumonia. Since he had a good amount of saving in his insurance cover, Robert believed that treating “pneumonia wasn’t a big deal.
Going to the hospitals, the 36-year-old was not even allowed to use the toilets of one facility. Robert was quickly taken out of the premises and struggled for 48 hours begging different health hospitals to admit him. Two other hospitals rejected him. At the same time, he was running out of breath and time
His body temperature was 39.5 degrees and had a dry cough at the same time.
Two days before, Robert had been rained on while heading to his home in Kiambu, and by Monday, he felt very cold and also developed a small cough. He then took antibiotics but the cough persisted. The cough was dry and irritating, he felt like he was chocking.
“Sometimes there was mucus, but I would need to cough persistently to produce even sputum. I was also getting muscular aches in my stomach every time I coughed. On the fifth day, I went to a hospital near Kiambu and the doctor recommended a chest x-ray and some tests for pneumonia, which was positive,” Robert told the Star.
With all those happening to him, no one ever suggested a Covid-19 test. His cough was worsening and became more frequent, especially when he moved suddenly or took a heavy breath.
“My body temperature also started rising. I took lemon and water, and this helped a lot,” he said.
He then proceeded to the hospital to have a blood test to confirm if he has a bacterial disease or viral pneumonia.
“I went to Nairobi Hospital on July 1, where Dr. Kimani Gicheru recommended a blood test to confirm if it was bacterial or viral pneumonia. He also recommended immediate admission to Nairobi Hospital, seeing my state.
“It was full, so he wrote an open referral letter for blood tests and admission at any hospital,” said Robert.
From Nairobi hospital, he proceeded to Mater Hospital the following day. AT the gate of the hospital his temperatures were reading 39 degrees. The nurse who took his temperature reading then called the admitted doctor to see if there was available space for him. But unfortunately for him, the hospital was full and was advised to visit another facility.
He then asked for a first aid instead but he was told, they cant street Covid-19 patient. And that was the first time he was being identified as a COVID-19 patient.
“I begged for about 30 minutes. They took my number and name. I think I was blacklisted,” he said.
At that point according to Robert, he had lost appetite because the only thing he could taste was warm water.
From there he then went to Nairobi West Hospital where he temperature was also taken and it was reading 39.5 degrees. He then presented his admission letters to the medics outside. After consulting with a doctor inside the hospital, the medics told him that the isolation unit at the facility was full.
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“I stepped out of the car and leaned on it and begged with them to admit me, but they said their wards were full. I even begged to use a toilet but they refused. God, what do I do now?” distressed Robert posed.
At that point, the reality had donned him that he had Covid-19. He then thought of KU (Kenyatta University Teaching which the media had already reported that it was full but he still tried about.
He then traveled there the following day where he was rushed to Avenue Hospital since he had been treated there before.
At the facility, the medics were helpful and kind to him. He was tested for Covid-19 as well as oxygen.
His oxygen level was low and was immediately put on a respirator, and IV linear in the waiting area. Four hours later there was still no free isolation bed. The hospital then called MP Shah, KU, Radiant, Nairobi West, Mater, and all these said they were full or couldn’t admit a patient from another facility.
One patient in the isolation was moved to the recovery room eight hours later and so a be was available for him. His lungs were 40 percent operational, which means if he had stayed at home that night, he might have died.
His tests came positive and he was then moved to the general Covid-19 ward where he stayed for three days. He was drinking a lot of fluids but eating was a struggle.
He was discharged five days later with a bill amount to Sh190,000.
He continued self-isolating at home and finished his 14 days on July 16.
