A man has been admitted at Coast Provincial General Hospital (CPGH) after swallowing a toothbrush.
David Charo, 34 swallowed the toothbrush last Sunday as he brushed his teeth at his home in Bamba, Kilifi County.
Efforts by his young brother Mr Julius Charo, who was at home during the incident, to remove the brush, failed.
“After failing to remove the toothbrush from my brother’s throat, I rushed him to a nearby hospital and was referred to Coast Provincial Hospital. Apart from x-rays, nothing has been done to him,” said Julius.
The family says, Mr Charo, who has not had a meal since last Saturday, has been surviving on drinks only.
BEND
“I can only lie down or stand, whenever I try to bend, I feel the toothbrush,” said Mr Charo, a father of two, who has since developed breathing difficulties.
“The toothbrush has stayed in my stomach for long and the doctors have only been telling me that I need an operation, but nothing much has been done,” said Mr Charo.
According to a doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity, the toothbrush might result to suffocation and obstruction of oxygen flow in the oesophagus if it stays in the patient’s body for long.
“Being blunt, the object can cause no major harm, but it can cause breathing complications,” said the doctor.
Mr Charo’s family blamed the hospital for neglecting their kin.
DIRECTIONS
“We came here on Sunday and to date, nothing has been done. We have waited to get directions from the hospital management but nothing is coming forth,” said Mr Charo’s elder brother Hamisi Charo.
Contacted the matter CPGH Chief Administrator Dr Iqbal Khandwalla said the patient had been attended to. He, however, referred Nation to County Health Chief Officer Dr Khadija Shikely for more information on the matter. However, efforts to reach Dr Shikely failed as calls to her mobile number went answered.