Woman with needle lodged in her throat for weeks cries out for help

A woman is crying for help after accidentally swallowing a sewing needle in Mugambaciura village, Kirinyaga County.

Four weeks after the incident, the needle is still lodged in Everline Karekia's throat.

"I'm in great pain and I can't eat properly," 31-year-old Karekia told the Nation on Wednesday.

The mother of two said she was sewing clothes when her baby started crying and wanted to be breastfed.

She stopped sewing and put the needle in her mouth as she breastfed her eight-month-old baby.

However, she accidentally swallowed the needle and was rushed to Embu Referral Hospital, where only an X-ray was taken.

"In Embu, we paid Sh800 for an x-ray, but no effort was made to remove the needle from my wife's throat," said Kelvin Maina, Ms Karekia's husband.

Ms Karekia also sought treatment at Kerugoya Referral Hospital, but the needle could not be removed immediately.

Mr Maina said the situation was serious and called on the government to intervene.

"If there is no urgent intervention, I may lose my wife who has been suffering for over a month," said Mr Maina.

He claimed that his wife could not be treated at Kerugoya Referral Hospital, which was recently upgraded to a level five medical facility.

"When we went to Kerugoya, we were told that the endoscopy service, which is required before any operation to remove a needle, was not available and we were referred to a local private hospital where we were asked to pay Sh10,000, which we didn't have," said Mr Maina.

Endoscopy is a medical procedure used to examine structures inside the body up close by inserting a tube with a camera through the throat or anus.

 Mr Maina said his wife was forced to return home with the needle in her throat.

Kirinyaga County Health Officer, Dr George Karoki, said the matter was being handled by the hospital.

"We attended to the woman and the x-ray could not show that there was a needle in her throat. So we decided to do an endoscopy to establish the truth, but we didn't have an endoscopy machine. So we sent an ambulance to collect the patient from her home and take her to a private hospital for the procedure. We collaborate with private hospitals on health matters and it is normal to do so," said Dr Karoki.

He said the county was taking the matter seriously and the woman would be treated.

But he urged the family to stop politicising the matter.

Meanwhile, residents are sympathising with the woman, who they say comes from a poor background.

"The family can't afford private health services and we have been looking for funds to help her get treatment after what happened to her," said Mr David Karatai.

Residents said the woman spends most of her time sleeping at home because of the pain she is in.

They expressed concern that even the elected leaders had not helped her.

"We are afraid that we might lose the woman and that is why we are appealing to well-wishers to help us," said Ms Lydia Kuria.

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