By Kabaraji Richard
A Form Four candidate in Trans Nzoia County has been forced to sit for her KCSE examination in a local hospital after developing what medical doctors said was cerebral malaria.
The 14-year-old candidate of Immaculate Conception Mukuyu in Tran Nzoia East is said to have developed the medical condition on the eve of the start of the national exams leading her to being hospitalized.
It is reported that the candidate started behaving weirdly late at night, forcing the school management to take her to hospital.
“She was admitted to our facility at 3 a.m. by the school management after starting to act weirdly. On examination, she was detected with altered mental status,” said Dr Joseph Obuanya who received the student.
The school had informed the medical facility that the 14-year-old had a headache preceded by general body weakness two days prior to the exams.
Cerebral fever
But it is at the hospital that several medical tests revealed that the student had a cerebral fever of severe malaria – a condition that makes one to be mentally unstable.
“Her GS was 13/15 when she was brought in and immediately we ran some laboratory tests which showed the status of the malaria in her body was high. We later put her on anti-malarial drugs to arrest the situation,” the doctor explained.
The student’s father told journalists that he received a call from the school about his daughter’s sickness on the eve of the KCSE exams.
“I was sleeping in my house when the school management called, telling me that my daughter was collapsing and fainting at the same time uttering unknown words. This left me devastated,” the father said.
The father said her daughter was bright and expressed hope the disease would not affect her final KCSE results.
Also in the same hospital, a KCSE candidate has been admitted over an unknown ailment.
The student from Saint Michael Top Station Secondary School on the outskirts of Kitale town was brought in after falling sick during his morning paper.
The student is currently receiving treatment.
