The baby, who had been taken to the hospital with a minor burn on the left hand, is said to have been injected with killed by an overdose of morphine — a drug medically prescribed to relieve pain and it was 20 times stronger than the required amount.
The baby had been taken to the hospital for treatment after his left hand was scalded by hot water.
According to the baby’s mother Ms Juliana Mutheu, the infant developed breathing problems and died barely two hours after the injection.
Prof. Fredrick Were said Baby Ethan was supposed to be given an oral medication of the drug but since it was not available, the prescribing practitioner indicated he be injected with the dose of morphine.
“It was thought necessary that the child be given medication to reduce the pain that may come with the dressing. Medication called morphine was prescribed to be given by mouth.
“The boy was prescribed 0.2ml orally but the hospital did not have the syrup so it was changed to 20 miligrams injection instead of 1 miligram,” said Professor Were.
“Morphine, being a heavy dose, interfered with the breathing of the baby. Besides, it was administered by an unqualified person,” said Prof Were.
Morphine is a medication of the opiate family which acts directly on the central nervous system to decrease pain.
“It ties with what happened… The child went drowsy, went home sleepy and was brought back still very sleepy and in that process of time the child was lost,” said Prof. Were.
The hospital has since been shut down and the Managing Director George Onyango alongside two other employees arrested.
Machakos Governor Dr. Alfred Mutua on Monday announced that the county government had withdrawn the hospital’s trading license.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board has also revoked the practicing permit for the facility, which has in the recent past been on the spot for all the wrong reasons.
Reports also indicate that the employee, who administered the lethal injection was reportedly not a trained medical practitioner but a patient attendant.
Speaking at the hospital on Monday, Governor Mutua said the hospital’s management had been given until 6pm to clear with the patients.