A woman whose son disappeared from Kenyatta National Hospital three years ago has sued for negligence. In court papers, Meru businesswoman Innocentia Njagi says her son Eric Njeru was taken ill on November 21, 2013. Njeru was a Bachelor of Science in computer technology student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture.
Njagi says she received a phone call from a stranger who told her son was ill and in need of medical attention. She requested the caller take her son to Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital and sent him Sh2,000 via M-Pesa for medication. Later, the caller informed her that her son had been referred to Mbagathi Hospital.
A frantic mother
Njagi called a relative, Mathenge Wang’ombe, who lived in Nairobi and requested he check on Njeru. Wang’ombe later informed her that Mbagathi Hospital had referred Njeru to KNH. “... the doctor ordered a head CT scan and I sent Sh10,000,” Njagi says in an affidavit sworn and filed in court.
The head scan was carried out and her son admitted in Ward 5B Room 6, she says. On November 23, 2013, Njagi spoke to her son on the phone and promised to visit after two days. However, the following day she got a phone call from Wang’ombe informing her that he had gone to KNH and found Njeru missing. He said the hospital could not explain his whereabouts.
Njagi immediately travelled to Nairobi and arrived at KNH late in the afternoon on November 24, 2013, the court was told. A nurse whose name she does not indicate in the court papers informed her that her son had disappeared.
Njagi made frantic efforts to find her son with the help of KNH’s security department. She visited mortuaries but did not find him. Two days later she reported the disappearance to the police and put up posters of his photo in public places but got no positive response. She even made appeals through Royal Media Services.
Now Njagi wants KNH held liable for his disappearance because he was legally admitted there. She is also seeking compensation for loss of livelihood in unquantified amount.