- Naimuna was injured in September 2019 when hot water in a cooking pot accidentally splashed on her in their manyatta.
- Commander of Amisom Sector II said treating the little girl to full recovery demonstrates that KDF's presence in Somalia was alleviating the suffering of the people.
The KDF is not just using tanks and heavy machine guns to liberate the villages of Somalia, it is also attending to the needs of residents and treating some, one wound at a time.
Naimuna Mohammed Baale, a three-and-half-year-old girl, sustained 40 per cent burns from her waist downwards. She was discharged from Amisom Level II Hospital in Dhobley, southern Somalia, after being treated by Kenyan soldiers.
Naimuna was injured in September 2019 when hot water in a cooking pot accidentally splashed on her in their manyatta when her mother, Fatuma Dhiriye, was preparing a meal.
Her father, Mohammed Baale, rushed her to Dhobley General Hospital, leaving the mother to tend their flock. They are a nomadic family.
The thirdborn child was at the facility for nine days. Her condition continued to deteriorate but in October a KDF medical team from Amisom VIII conducting routine medical outreaches in the town arrived.
She was identified as a critical case and subsequently referred to the Amisom medical facility where efforts to treat and dress her wounds immediately started.
In January this year, Naimuna was diagnosed with anaemia and her medication was elevated a notch higher by the Senior Medical Officer of Amisom VIII Lieutenant Colonel (Dr) Wahome, who recommended a series of blood transfusions to elevate her blood haemoglobin level.
Naimuna was discharged on April 30 after a series of medical procedures, free of every ailment, a statement by the new KDF spokesperson Zipporah Kioko said.
"This is an extraordinary event for us at Amisom Level II Hospital. To manage 40 per cent body burns to full recovery is no mean feat to us," said Lieutenant Colonel David Ndung'u, the commandant of the hospital.
Brigadier Paul Njema, the commander of Amisom Sector II, said treating the little girl to full recovery was no mean feat, and that it demonstrates that KDF's presence in Somalia was alleviating the suffering of the people.
"This is a good indication of what our presence in Somalia is achieving. It is one of the many positive cases we continue to witness in our tour of duty, not just in matters of health but also in improving social amenities and infrastructural development; and chiefly in our primary mandate of pursuing peace for Somalia," he said.
"On March 3, 2020, baby Naimuna took her first step out of bed and walked with minimal support. This was a moment of great joy for all of us. We shall forever remember that day."
Dhobely district commissioner Siyadh Mohammed, who attended her discharging ceremony, thanked Amisom for their unwavering support in health, education, security and humanitarian assistance.
“We can’t really quantify the much you have been able to do to our community and as a local administrator, I must say you have indeed lived beyond our expectations," he said.
(Edited by F'Orieny)