In the quiet heart of Isiolo, a family faces an agonizing battle as they watch their 18-year-old daughter Rebecca Akum fight’s for every breath. Relying on oxygen support at home, she suffers from a serious pulmonary embolism, recently compounded by the discovery of untreated tuberculosis.

Akum’s life now hangs in the balance as healthcare challenges mount, turning the family’s world upside down. Just weeks ago, she was receiving essential care at the Isiolo Referral Hospital. However, the sudden onset of a medical staff strike forced her family to make the heart-wrenching decision to bring her home, where they now struggle to keep her stable.

The familiar surroundings of their house, once a sanctuary, now echo with the constant worry that her oxygen supply could fail at any moment.

Her mother, Josephine Ekale, shares her deep sense of helplessness. “We need over 90,000 shillings just for the medication to treat her pulmonary condition,” she explains, her voice trembling with emotion. Additional medical expenses may bring their total to 200,000 shillings—a financial burden the family simply cannot bear on their own.

Amid this dire situation, the family finds solace in the kindness of Sarafina Asili, a compassionate neighbour who has opened her home to them, providing shelter and electricity for the oxygen generator.

Yet, even Sarafina is struggling with rising electricity costs and frequent power outages, each one a reminder of the fragile lifeline keeping the young woman alive. “If the power goes out, the oxygen generator stops, and every silent moment fills us with fear,” Sarafina shares.

As the community rallies in concern, the family has made a desperate plea for support from well-wishers. Their hope now lies in the kindness of strangers, as regular medical care has been disrupted by the ongoing strike.

Martin Malik, a close family friend, highlights the devastating impact of the strike on families like theirs, who no longer have access to the critical care they once relied on.

Isiolo is among several counties affected by the ongoing clinical officers’ strike, which is jeopardizing the lives of approximately 5,000 patients each day.

Wait times for consultations in hospitals have skyrocketed to over eight hours, and the transition from the old health insurance system to the new Social Health Authority (SHA) program has only added to the strain on already overstretched healthcare services.

The family’s struggle, alongside the thousands of others affected by the strike, underscores the urgent need for a resolution to the healthcare crisis. For now, they continue to hold onto hope, one breath at a time.

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