The tales are horrifying. They have no money to get good medication and in case of accidents, they resort to traditional herbs for a cure.
This is the sad story of motorcyclists (Boda boda) from Lamu who have to endure medical challenges when they are involved in accidents.
The county is increasingly recording cases of fractures caused by Boda-boda accidents increasing by the day.
According to reports, unprofessional riders particularly in the remote areas in the Islands are behind the accidents.
To make matters worse victims who come from poverty-stricken families are forced to seek traditional treatment of the fractures as they cannot afford to pay the costs of medication.
One of the victims, Sheba Hero from Mtangawanda area in Lamu East is among those who were injured but had to remain with the fracture for three years as he could not afford to pay the costs of having the fracture fixed.
Mr Hero who is 37 years old and a father of four told journalists that he was told to pay Sh90,000, an amount required to fix his broken hand but with pangs of poverty, he could not afford to pay.
“On the material day I was on my way home from fishing when a boda-boda knocked me from behind leaving me with a fractured hand, I went to hospital in Faza then Lamu and Malindi but the hand could not be fixed because the costs were high,’’ he said.
Luckily for him a good Samaritan Dr Ahmed Bunu who saw his plight during a visit in the highlands volunteered to help him get treatment in Malindi.
Journalists caught up with Hero at the Star Specialist Hospital a day after the operation and his condition was getting better.
He thanked the good Samaritan saying had it not been for him it would have been difficult to have the fracture in his hand fixed.
Many others are reportedly suffering in the remote areas of Lamu as they cannot afford to pay for the costs of medication.
Apart from boda-boda accidents others are reportedly getting fractures after falling from coconut trees and end up opting for the traditional treatment instead of surgery for survival.
Nyebwana Bwana the mother of Sheba said after the accident they tried all means to get treatment but due to financial constraints were forced to return home with the injury.
She said because they are poor it was difficult to pay the Sh. 90,000 and they decided to leave him stay with the fractured hand for the last three years.
“Its not until recently when the good Samaritan Ahmed Bunu came and offered to help my son and paid the costs of surgery now the operation was done and he is better, “she said.
Bwana thanked the Samaritan for helping his son saying he would now be able to support the family as he was the sole breadwinner.
Dr Nurein Mohamed an Orthopedic surgeon from star hospital who c0onducted the surgery said Sheba’s hand had developed a fake joint at the fractured area as it had not been fixed.
The Doctor said he managed to operate and fixed the fracture adding that the victim would soon return to normal after healing.
“Yesterday we had a patient who had come all the way from one of the Islands in Lamu, it was an interesting case because the guy had a fracture am told about three years ago, the x-ray seen we decided we would go with it because he is a breadwinner of his house lets help this man,” he said.
He said they normally receive many cases of fractures which are caused by bodaboda accidents some of which are fatal.
Mohamed said there is need for the boda-boda riders to undergo training so as to prevent more accidents.
