Jenifer Arot: A heart surgery at Aga Khan University Hospital saved my life #AD

Jenifer Arot started experiencing chest and back pains on the left side of her body soon after giving birth to her last-born child in 2023.

A rushed visit to a nearby dispensary saw her get ‘diagnosed’ with pneumonia. Jenifer was subsequently put on a string of painkillers and anti-bacterial tablets.

“The doctors thought it was mild pneumonia based on the symptoms I presented,” she says.

Adding that: “I took the antibiotics and painkillers religiously.”

“I would sometimes carry the tablets to work and even to bed,” says Arot, who hails from Lokitaung, in Turkana North, some 800 kilometres from Nairobi.

Arot, who works as a village administrator in Lokitaung, said her condition worsened with each passing day.

“My condition denied me sleep and peace. The back pain would not just go away,” she says, adding that her life revolved around painkillers.

“I progressively found it difficult to do my job, which often demanded physical engagement; walking for long distances in scorching heat, speaking and attending to residents,” said the mother of three.

In December 2023, Arot travelled to Lodwar to seek more specialised care.

“I visited a private hospital where I had an X-ray taken. The doctors noticed something, but advised that I undergo a CT scan at another more specialised facility.”

Arot would travel to Eldoret, where she underwent a CT scan.

“Upon analysis of the scan images, doctors told me that a vein supplying blood to my heart appeared swollen and needed urgent surgery.”

Arot’s world as she had known it was about to turn upside down.

“The doctor asked if I had any medical insurance, to which I answered in the affirmative,” said Arot.

The doctor told her that the surgery could only be conducted in a specialised hospital in Nairobi.

The doctor referred her to Nairobi and advised her not to proceed with haste.

After discussing with her husband, Arot decided to visit the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi.

The journey from Lokitaung to Nairobi would take more than 15 hours on the road.

“The doctors at Aga Khan University Hospital reviewed my case, did a CT scan.”

“The tests confirmed my fears. I needed to undergo heart surgery. The surgery would need a stent, which had to be procured from Europe,” remembers Arot.

The stent alone would cost Ksh3.2 million to procure and ship to Kenya. The whole treatment needed Ksh6.5 million.

“I almost gave up when I heard about the cost of treatment. Ksh6.5 Million was beyond our means,” she says.

Worried, Jenifer proposed that she be allowed to stay home and face her fate.

“The hospital noted that my condition was critical and that I needed to remain under care,” says Arot.

One morning, Jenifer’s husband came to the hospital with good news.

“He told me about a Patient Welfare Programme run by the Aga Khan University Hospital, which could help us if we applied and qualified.”

“I don’t know how he came to know about the Aga Khan University Hospital’s patient welfare programme, which offered assistance to patients with financial challenges,” says Arot, now with a smile.

As good fortune would have it, Arot was enrolled on the programme and had 64 per cent of her medical bill, translating to some Ksh2 million, cleared by the Aga Khan University hospital.

Arot underwent surgery successfully at the Aga Khan University Hospital.

The mother of three has since travelled back to Lokitaung to be with her family. She is already looking forward to returning to work after spending months away.

“I am grateful to Aga Khan Hospital University, the doctors, nurses and the whole team for helping me to come back to my feet,” she said.