Ten-year-old tumour patient flown to Nairobi
AMREF Flying Doctors of Kenya reports on a flight to transport a 10-year-old boy with a large tumour on his neck.
On 20 April, AMREF Flying Doctors of Kenya reported on a flight to transport a 10-year-old boy with a large tumour on his neck. He was airlifted from Mandera to Wilson Airport, Nairobi, through a partnership between AMREF Flying Doctors, the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and the Kenyatta National Referral Hospital.
The tumour was first noticed nine months ago as a small bump, AMREF Flying Doctors explained. The child had been visited Mandera District Hospital several times, and was treated for tuberculosis for 45 days (with no improvement).
Unable to manage the condition, the hospital discharged the child with a recommendation for specialised care in Nairobi. However, travel to Nairobi by road – a journey of over 1,000 km – was beyond the family’s financial capability.
The team took off from Wilson Airport on 17April at 08:05 hrs. After three hours and 20 minutes of flying, the crew landed at Mandera airstrip, where the boy was delivered onboard an NHIF double-cabin pick-up truck accompanied by his mother, a neighbour and NHIF staff from Mandera County.
Due to pain being unable to eat, the patient was severely malnourished and dehydrated. A cannula was fixed and blood sugar was taken. The mass on the neck was found to be leaking blood stained fluid and was redressed with sterile gauze.
The team took off at 12:45 hrs from Mandera, landing back in Nairobi at 15:45 hrs. On arrival at Kenya National Hospital, the boy was admitted and immediately started to receive specialised treatment.