Mother of nine with prenatal complications airlifted to Nairobi
AMREF Flying Doctors has reported that its control centre received a night-time call from Mandera District Hospital regarding a patient who had been admitted three days earlier.
AMREF Flying Doctors (FD) has reported that on 12 June, its control centre received a night-time call from Mandera District Hospital regarding a patient who had been admitted three days earlier after developing delicate stage-four congestive heart failure (CHF). This may have been a result of the 33-year-old’s multiple pregnancies and deliveries, said AMREF FD.
According to her sister, the patient had first started experiencing symptoms one week earlier and, when her symptoms worsened, she was taken to Mandera District Hospital to be treated. Upon examining the patient, the medical team decided the patient required further treatment in Nairobi and called AMREF FD to request that she be evacuated.
The AMREF Flying Doctors medical team deliberated on the matter, giving special consideration to the fact that previously, when six-months pregnant, the patient had experienced pregnancy-related heart failure and had lost her baby during the process. They determined her only chance for survival was to be transported to a more advanced medical facility in Nairobi, Kenya, where her complications could be appropriately assessed. Following confirmation of the evacuation request, a team was assembled ready for the charity evacuation and prepared to depart from Wilson Airport at 10:40 hrs on 13 June.
Following a two-and-a-half-hour flight, the crew landed at the Mandera District Hospital, where they were met by a ground ambulance.
The flight nurse was unable to get a verbal reaction from the patient, who had reportedly been in a semi-comatose state for two days. The patient was stabilised and connected to oxygen and monitoring machines and the team was soon able to airlift the patient back to Wilson Airport, Nairobi. The doctor and flight nurse ensured the patient received proper care throughout the flight.
On touchdown in Nairobi, AMREF FD’s advanced life support ground ambulance was immediately on hand to transport the patient to Nairobi South Hospital, where she was taken directly to the intensive care unit (ICU). Following up five days later, the organisation learned that the patient had woken up and been moved to a standard ward to begin the recovery process.