Isaac Ndung’u lost his wife Carolyne Wanjiku while giving birth at Maragua Level Four Hospital. His wife died on March 16, and he recalls the last words she said to him before leaving for the ward. When he met his wife again, she was a “motionless cold body at the mortuary”.
“Babe, just briefly, and I will come back with our baby girl. Keep safe and be there to receive me,” he recalls the last words that were accompanied by a hug and a peck as she left for the ward.
According to the Sunday Nation, their baby girl survived the delivery, but the death of his wife raised questions that the hospital is yet to fully address. Mr Ndung’u, a 26-year-old laborer, says it will take years to recover from the shock. He is now left with an infant to bring up and a wife to bury. His daily budget for the baby is about Sh80, but he only makes Sh300 on a “good” week. The total budget for his family is about Sh120 per day.
Before her death, Wanjiku used to prepare chapati for sale and would earn Sh100 daily. Mr Ndung’u says it will be difficult to get into a relationship with another woman. To him, Wanjiku remains his soul mate even in death.
He has 1,000 unanswered questions on his wife’s death, but he leaves everything to God since he cannot afford a post-mortem. The hospital advised them to forgo the post-mortem because it was expensive.
After Wanjiku’s death, the hospital volunteered to nurse the infant for six months, but Mr Ndung’u’s relatives could hear none of that. They demanded that the baby be handed over to her father.
Maragua Assistant County Commissioner Joshua Okello formed an arbitration team to ensure the baby’s interests were taken care of. The committee had representatives from Wanjiku’s family, the widower side, the hospital, and government officials.
Mr Ndung’u appointed his sister to be trained on nursing basics. The hospital is compassionate as it continues to play a critical role in nursing the infant. Maragua Level Four Medical Superintendent, Kairo Kimende, says the death was regrettable and that a report would be made to the family soon.
