A smokie vendor operating in Nairobi's Central Business District has won praise after helping a woman deliver next to his stall despite possessing no training in the sector.
The vendor, Dominic Gekonge, narrated that he was going about his daily job when the woman went into sudden labour forcing him and a few other women to respond quickly.
Initially, Gekonge rushed to a nearby hospital to get a medic but all were busy forcing him to apply the expertise he had acquired watching his wife deliver.
"The women who were where you were lying asked me to run and get a doctor. The doctor told me she was busy. When I returned, I found the legs of the newborn were already out," the vendor told the mother during their tête-à-tête after the delivery," he stated.
"We had no otherwise and I was forced to return to the hospital for a razor blade. The doctor also gave me clips.
"When I arrived, I found that the body of the baby was out except the head. I advised the other two women to help me deliver the baby. I did what I saw doctors do to my wife," Gekonge added.
After the delivery, the vendor revealed that following the steps applied to his wife, he clipped and cut off the umbilical code to separate the fetus from the parent.
He noted that other people who were in the vicinity were fearful of participating forcing him to brave up to the challenge.
"When the child was delivered. I took the clip and placed it on the umbilical code. The other clip was pressed on the other side and I took the razor blade and cut it.
"I held the child using papers for wrapping smokies before I transferred the child to its father who ordered a taxi and took the child to the Hospital," he explained.
When the newborn and its mother arrived at Eagle Hospital, doctors were impressed by Gekonge's bravery in handling the situation.
Mercy Mathai, the hospital's Quality Assurance Officer, saluted him noting that the pregnancy was complicated and would otherwise require a speciality since in normal deliveries, the head leads the rest of the body.
"I salute Dominic. Being a man, he managed to deliver that breached baby and it is in the hand of Jesus that enabled a layman to carry out that procedure. It is difficult and they managed. The baby is okay," she stated.
According to the Ministry of Health, seven expectant women die during child delivery week, 60 per cent of which occur at referral hospitals,
