Disease patterns at the sick child clinic of Moi teaching and referral hospital, Kenya

Abstract

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child describes a child as any human being below the age of 18 years [1]. The said group includes a particularly vulnerable cohort of children under the age of 5 years.These children are predisposed to effects of malnutrition and infection, the latter, supported by the fact that they have comparatively low immunity. Those above five years are prone to injuries due to their sigificant physical activity, poor judgement, inadequate care, as well as being victims of a number of social ills such as rape or molestation. Recognition of these and other child health needs has led to increased global awareness and interventions through the set up of a vast number of governmental and non-governmental organizations to zero-in in child health and in turn reduce both morbidity and mortality rates. Child morbidity and mortality is however still a major set back in the Sub-Sahara Africa. UNICEF rates the child mortality in Kenya at 74 per every 1000 children, with the major causes of death being upper respiratory tact infections (URTI), diarrhoea and malaria [2]. There are various pediatric wings in major public hospitals such as the Shoe for Africa wing at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Obama pediatric wing in Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu as well as pediatric wards in health facilities throughout the country. However, these pediatric facilities do not meet the needs of various patients being attended to and thus the need for more facilities. This research was based in the sick child clinic of MTRH that attends to patients aged 14 years and below. It is a department strategically situated near the main entrance of the hospital and functions as a twenty four-hour service provider. The staff at the department include several pediatritians, medical officers, clinical officers, nurses and the latest involvement being a counselor who handles the HIV positive patients and their parents since PITC is a mandatory procedure for all patients seen in the department. On average, 100 patients are attended to daily within the clinic with about 20-30 admissions. 23