Kiambu Central Member of Parliament Jude Njomo has raised concerns over possible misdiagnosis of patients in the country amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The MP says that his mother was buried hurriedly at night early last month after false reports that she had contracted Covid-19.
Speaking during a Committee on Health sitting on Wednesday, Njomo said his late mum had tested negative at the Aga Khan after falling ill and taking the requisite test.
The MP said that she fell ill again on June 8 and was rushed to Mater Hospital where she passed on outside the hospital.
The family decided to preserve the body at the hospital as burial arrangements began.
However, they received a call later that their mother had tested positive for the coronavirus disease after samples from the body were tested at Lancet laboratories and that they needed to bury her immediately.
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The MP stated that they received the news at around 3pm and the deceased was laid to rest hurriedly on the same day at around 8pm.
“I tried to beg for more time but in line with the law, we received a call at 3pm we buried her by 8pm, for the 82 years she had lived we felt that we did not give her the dignity,” the MP explained.
The family was, however, dissatisfied with the positive Covid-19 result and requested for another test which the MP said turned negative.
The MP said the samples were tested at the Nairobi Hospital.
Two other tests carried out at the National Influenza Centre returned negative results.
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Confused, the MP approached the Director of Health Patric Amoth with the results to seek an explanation.
“I asked myself how many Kenyans have gotten wrong results, how many other Kenyans go through quarantine because of a wrong outcome, how many labs are careless, there are many Kenyans who are voiceless and let me the voice for those who have been offended by the careless laboratories, I wrote to KMPDB to inquire what is the problem of Lancet?” The MP asked.
Commenting on the contentious result, Mater Hospital CEO Professor Dominic Mwenje told the committee that the hospital did not follow up on the matter with Lancet Lab arguing the lab is credible and is used by facilities across the country.
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On his part, Lancet Group Managing Director Ahmed Khalebi said the incident of disparities was not unique adding that the facility has been audited by three government institutions.
Khalebi said further analysis revealed that the MP’s mother indeed succumbed to Covid-19.
A report tabled before the committee detailed that the varied results may have been as a result of different technique of testing, poor specimen, late collection of specimen or if the specimen was mishandled.
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