28-Year-Old Kenyan Woman Dies After Giving Birth To Quintuplets

Everline Namukhula, who gave birth to quintuplets in Shisokhe village,  Navakholo sub-county Kakamega county Kenya, has died.   The 28 year old mother passed away today, Sunday, April 7, at Moi teaching and referral Hospital Eldoret, after complaining of chest pains last night.   Late Everline, who had four other children, gave birth to three girls and two boys through a Caesarean Section, last month.   The house wife was married to a deaf husband Emmanuel Wanjala, who is a casual labourer in the village.   “I am so happy and grateful to God for having given me these five children at ago. I am now having a total of nine children because I have four others at home with my first born who is 10 years old in class two,”  Ms Namukhula had said after delivery.

She had vowed to stop further pregnancies saying she is not able to fend for the growing number of children.   Ms Namukhula said she experienced labour pains and went to Navakholo sub-county hospital where she used to attend antenatal clinic. She had expected to give birth to one child –her fifth.   “In one of the clinic sessions, I was told I was carrying three children. I never expected to deliver five children,” she narrated from her hospital bed at the maternity wing.   She was transferred from Navakholo hospital to the County Referral Hospital after it was discovered that she was carrying more than three children.   Dr Githinji Ndung’u, one of the doctors who assisted her deliver the five children said they received a referral from Navakholo on Tuesday at about 5pm with a woman suspected to be carrying three children.   “On examination, we realized they were more than three and were in the wrong way. We were forced to conduct a caesarian birth at 8pm and we realized that she was carrying five children,” said Dr Githinji.   He confirmed that the children plus their mother were in good health condition. The children are under incubation in the new born unit.   The children weighed between 1.2kgs and 1.6kgs, instead of the 3.5kg which is required of a normal baby at birth.

Ms Namukhula had appealed to well-wishers to help her fend for the children saying her husband was deaf with no stable employment to sustain the family.   “We are financially challenged but God has blessed us with this high number of children. I request the government, leaders and well-wishers come to our aid so that we cater for them.”

Kakamega county health executive Rachael Okumu, who visited the mother in the hospital, promised to enroll the family on a one-year full premium of the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).   “The mother will also be put under the Oparanya Care maternal health programme that sees new mothers take home Sh2,000 after child birth and a similar amount every time they visit the hospital to vaccinate their kids,” said Ms Okumu.   She asked the hospital to attach the mother to the nearest Navakholo sub-county hospital for clinical checks and monitoring of the health of both the mother and the children. 

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