The time is 6:20 pm and everyone on the street of Kisumu is dashing home to beat the curfew deadline. On the busy fume-filled Kachok-Ringroad is a multitude of pedestrians walking on the sidewalk and jostling for every little space. A middle-aged guy suddenly tumbles down and lies on one side of the busy road with his bag and phone splattered on the road. I had stopped temporarily at my usual butchery to buy supper when the incident happened. Everyone is taken aback by the commotion and a small crowd begins to form around him. A man volunteers to stand on the road to signal and redirect traffic.
The victim begins to foam in the mouth and convulse violently with his mask still intact. Pedestrians are dumbfounded at this point as the crowd continues to grow. Opinions begin to fly with some passers-by suggesting we move him away from the busy road, others contradicting the opinion by saying a person under an attack shouldn’t be touched at all. A lady suggested we fold one leg to enhance blood flow while others suggested the victim be left untouched until the attack naturally ceases. Other passersby ridiculed and dismissed him saying he was too drunk to walk.
The victim convulsed for about 20 minutes. Most passers-by chose to ignore him because curfew time was drawing closer. The Police have been on the hunt for 7 pm curfew violators so people fear the repercussions. As a humanitarian, I decided to stick with him. The seizures stopped and I moved him away from the road to the sidewalk. I checked his phone to get the phone numbers of his friends and family members but his phone was off. He was still unconscious. Leaving him on the street would have been catastrophic as anyone would think he was a drunkard and he would easily have been brutalised by police oblivious of his condition.
The time is now 6:50 pm. Anxiety and distress of curfew noncompliance set in. Miraculously, a guy passes by and recognizes him. He said the victim is ***** and I felt so relieved. It turns out both of them are plumbers and casual friends. The passer-by only knows his name nothing else. He didn’t know his house. ****** could now sit but still unable to talk. The rescuer made a few calls to friends in a bid to track his house and family. We got information from friends that resided around the Ka Water area in Nyalenda slum. They hopped onto my motorcycle and I rode them to Ka Water estate. As we embarked on a journey to trace his house, he began to mumble a few words. He could now talk albeit incoherently. He gave us unclear directions and we lost our way several times. We eventually traced his house while engulfed with fear of being arrested by police. ***** got home safely.
The incident was an eye-opener on how the public responds to victims of epilepsy attacks and other disorders. I wish to make a difference by creating awareness about these disorders. The public should be able to identify the disorders and offer first-aid to victims. The victims need to be empowered to improve traceability of family in case of an attack.
Regards.
Erick Achieng Oyier.
Nutritionist.
A resident of Kisumu.