Prison inspector Mr. Silla Wamunyau can hardly contain his happiness as we prepare for our interview. Having been pronounced free of TB, which took his left eye, he is happy to be alive today.
He had been suffering an unidentified medical issue for weeks at a time like this last year, and he was going from hospital to hospital in the hopes of finding a cure.
The prison inspector has started a trip to educate other staff members and inmates about the contagious disease, even though he has since come to terms with the fact that he can no longer see with the damaged eye.
“My advice to members of the public is that they should be quick to seek medical attention in case of any health concern,” says Mr. Wamunyau.
The 55-year-old claims he noticed something was wrong after losing weight and his clothes no longer fit, and he regrets not going to a medical facility when his left eye started to leak.
Additionally, Mr. Wamunyau claims that he was weak and having overall body ache.
He went to the Kitui County Teaching and Referral Hospital in April 2024, but as he waited to be seen, he experienced excruciating, intense pain in his left eye.
The jail guard got tested and prescribed medication to treat his ailment after leaving the patient line to see an optometrist in the same building. Only half an hour after his diagnosis, he lost his left eye’s vision. He also had elevated blood pressure, according to additional medical testing.
“I was admitted to the hospital and started taking medication for pneumonia and hypertension. A TB test was also performed by the medical professionals, and the results were negative,” he claims.
Mr. Wamunyau says that after being sent to a medical facility in Nairobi County for additional testing, his TB test results were once more negative.
In the meantime, his health declined and he kept losing weight. On May 15, 2024, Mr. Wamunyau was referred to another medical facility for the third time.
The hospital’s medical professionals suspected Mr. Wamunyau of having tuberculosis and sent him to a private laboratory for testing. He was told to return a week after the test to get the findings.
“I was told I had TB of the eye when I came for the results,” he recalls.
However, he admits that he was not shocked by the results; rather, he was relieved that at least it was time to start taking medicine and possibly regain his vision. He was told that TB treatment was provided for free at public hospitals
“The attending physician asked me where I was from and informed me that Kitui Teaching and Referral Hospital, my hometown facility, offered free TB medicine. A letter of recommendation was also given to me,” he adds.
Back at the county facility, Mr. Wamunyau was told that, with the exception of hair, teeth, and nails, every part of the body might be impacted by the airborne disease.
When the medical staff evaluated his weight before putting him on medication, it had substantially decreased from 74 to 64 kg. According to Mr. Wamunyau, “I was put on medication under strict supervision of the medics,” and his family was there for him during that time.
He also discloses that, other than the several instances in which he felt a strong want to throw up, he had no trouble taking his prescription. Additionally helpful, his employer gave him a three-month leave of absence to recuperate before he returned to work.
After that, I went back to work, although my responsibilities would be limited. Because I am blind, I am also listed as a person with a disability,” the jail inspector states.
Mr. Wamunyau, who was deemed TB-free earlier this year, expresses gratitude to the government and its partners for providing the medication at no cost. He claims that charging for the drugs in public health facilities would prevent many patients from receiving treatment.
