ADVERTISEMENT

7 long needles found in 3-year-old girl’s body

Doctors at Kapenguria Referral Hospital in West Pokot County were taken aback when the X-ray report revealed five of the needles in Dorcas Chepchumbas abdomen while two others were found between tissues on her back.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to Tuko.co.ke, doctors at Kapenguria Referral Hospital in West Pokot County were taken aback when the X-ray report revealed five of the needles in Dorcas Chepchumba's abdomen while two others were found between tissues on her back.

She was reportedly taken to the hospital by her maternal grandparents after her mother abandoned her with them while she herself lives with a man elsewhere, claiming the baby was too sickly.

The girl’s grandfather, John Chepkokei Ling’aa is quoted as saying: "The mother escaped because the child was sickly. She is now married to someone else. We used to give her pain killers and we took her to Center Kwanza Dispensary.We are stranded and we don’t know where to start from.”

ADVERTISEMENT

He added that: “Chepchumba was born well in a hospital. She has been with her mother but when she started being sickly, the mother ran away. I was left to take care of her. "We thought that she was bewitched because the child doesn’t belong to the family where my daughter is married."

The little girl was so frequently ill that the grandparents had even suspected a spiritual attack at some point.

It was after the mysterious discovery they realised what exactly was responsible for the frequent illness of the toddler.

Doctors have advised that the child be taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital for the needles to be removed.

ADVERTISEMENT

Dorcas Chepchumba's case is not entirely unprecedented in Kenya. Reports say in December 2017, 14 sewing needles were found in the body of 10-month-old Jacinta Ndunge at Thika Level Five hospital.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh

ADVERTISEMENT