Kilifi County Referral Hospital successfully performs its first spinal surgery
A 25-year-old patient is beaming after doctors at Kilifi County Referral Hospital completed the county’s first successful spinal surgery on Thursday.
Hamisi Mwarahani, the second born in a family of three, had the surgery on Thursday after being bedridden for a year due to a lack of funds at home as well as a lack of spine specialists in his home County. Despite the fact that he will be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life, he is optimistic about his future.
With Kwale County lacking Orthopedic Spine doctors, patients are forced to seek healthcare services elsewhere.
“I was involved in an accident while on my boda boda in the early morning in April last year. From that time, my life turned around completely and it has been days and nights of pain and anguish, going from one hospital to the other with the hope of getting better hoping that a well-wisher will come in to my assistance,” said Mwarahani after the surgery.
Mwarahani stated that he was taken to Kwale hospital following the accident, where a scan of his back was performed to examine the extent of damage done, but the scan did not disclose anything and he was advised to undergo a second MRI Scan at Mombasa hospital.
“That was the beginning of my tribulations after the accident. My family could not raise the KSh. 48,150 to carry out the MRI Scan. It took us two months to raise the money, that’s when the scan was done on July 10,” he added.
The operation cost KSh. 150,000, which the family could not afford, and they were granted a reprieve after former Matuga MP Kassim Tandaza assisted him in enrolling in the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
“I had hoped NHIF would cover the procedure, but on getting to the hospital, diagnosis revealed that I had developed bedsores. We couldn’t continue the operation until that was treated,” he said.
The cost which was above his family’s budget forced them to seek assistance from well-wishers and politicians.
Fatuma Masito, the Kwale Women Representative, accompanied the family to Kilifi County for the procedure and covered all of the expenses.