Tuberculosis (TB) patients in Maralal, Samburu County are in grave danger following acute drugs shortage at the Samburu County Referral Hospital.
According to patients who spoke to the local publisher, they have never been provided with the essential drugs since Monday last week.
“I have TB and have been coming here since Monday but there are no drugs. I’m not alone, we are many; we don’t know what to do. We are afraid that we might succumb to TB or even spread this disease to other people,” said Mr Francis Lotukai, a TB patient.
The dreadful disease requires one to begin treatment afresh should one skip taking the administered drugs.
“I’m suffering from TB and since last Monday I have not taken my drugs. At first, I was afraid I might die but now am hopeful I will be okay. We just hope we won’t be told to start the treatment afresh when the drugs arrive,” a patient remarked.
In 2014 Health experts warned of a shortage in first-line TB drugs causing panic among millions of Kenyan who risked being infected by tuberculosis.
Over 600,000 people living with HIV and AIDS were most vulnerable.