A family in Nairobi’s Kawangware neighbourhood is demanding justice after a dental procedure allegedly left their relative unable to speak or eat, sparking concerns about the prevalence of unlicensed medical practitioners.
According to the family, the man underwent a tooth extraction at a local clinic, but his condition worsened shortly after the procedure. What was meant to be a routine dental visit reportedly turned into a medical emergency marked by severe pain, difficulty breathing, and inability to eat.
As his condition worsened, the patient went back to the clinic to seek help and a referral letter, but he said the practitioner brushed off his concerns, insisting the issue was “none of his business” despite having carried out the extraction.
“When I went back, he told me to go for a scan at Mbagathi. I asked him to give me a transfer letter because he was the one who treated me, but he told me that was none of my business,” the patient said.
As his condition deteriorated further, the family took him to Wema Hospital, where he was admitted, with doctors suspecting the use of unsterilised equipment during the dental procedure as a possible cause of his illness.
“For now am in pain. I cannot not breathe well, I am struggling to breathe and I cannot not eat anything,” the patient said from his hospital bed, struggling to speak.
His wife described the situation as distressing, saying his ability to communicate had been severely affected.
“His tongue became heavy. He had to use signs to tell you anything or respond. He was trying to tell me he was in pain, but he could not speak properly,” she said, adding that he had not been able to eat since the beginning of the year.
The practitioner who carried out the extraction acknowledged that he was not a licensed dentist and lacked the necessary equipment to safely perform dental procedures.
“I removed the tooth because I wanted to help him, even though I did not have the machines. I did not have a dentist’s licence. I was not a dentist, and I did not have a dental chair or a scanner for proper checks. That was the mistake I made, and also failing to refer him somewhere else,” the practitioner said.
Medical staff at Wema Hospital said the patient had been placed on strong medication, including antibiotics, but his condition had shown little improvement.
“Sometimes the tools used may not have been properly sterilised. We gave him a lot of antibiotics, but there was no improvement,” a nurse at the hospital said.
