A Difficult Case

ak. Today was yet another busy day at the RVH. In the late morning, we dealt with a rather difficult, complex and disturbing case. This young woman, whose exact age is unknown, is the daughter of her mother and uncle. As a result, she has a mental disability, which in Kenya is very difficult to find support for. Her mother is so poor that they cannot afford shoes and both had walked barefoot from Thugunui, four kilometers downhill. The girl presented with a severe case of pneumonia, having had symptoms for over one month. It was also discovered that the girl had been raped two years ago, and after testing, it was miraculous that she showed no signs of STIs or HIV. Sadly, despite the efforts of the RVH to properly educate and care for the people of Kasambara and Thugunui, this example shows that either neglect and/or ignorance persist as significant obstacles in dealing with patients in a rural setting, be it in Kenya or in the Western world.