Kabanda’s left Kidney
Its been two weeks of going back and forth on the alleged removal of Muhammed Kabanda’s kidney. The latest findings, however, should put the case to rest.
Kabanda, a local vendor at Owino market, accused Old Kampala hospital of stealing his left kidney while he was unconscious from a boda boda accident. He claimed to have only sustained a head injury but was surprised to also find a fresh cut to the left side of his belly upon returning from the theatre.
Consequently, a frustrated Kabanda imagined he was a victim of an illegal Kidney harvest and rushed to confirm his thoughts with various CT scans. Two scans from Malcom Health Center and Mengo Hospital both confirmed the same thing; he had one Kidney.
Kabanda made noise, prompting police to take up the matter to ascertain whether his left kidney was snatched from him or he suffered another condition.
Kabanda was sent for an abdominal pelvic CT scan and brain scan to confirm the Kidney count, and when he lost the alleged missing kidney. The brain scan was to establish the extent of his injury.
The scan conducted at Kampala Imaging Center (KIC) in Kololo established that Kabanda was born with one Kidney, a condition called ‘Renal agenesis’ where one is born with one or no Kidney. However, this was also dismissed by Kabanda and relatives.
The final step was taken by the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioner’s council, a body mandated to investigate unsafe practices by all medical practitioners and their facilities.
The Medical Council already launched Independent investigations into the matter under the Health Monitoring Unit of State House.
Kabanda’s left Kidney
In a prior statement released on Monday October 17, 2022, the registrar of the Medical Council Dr. Katumba Ssentongo Gulaba writes to Kabanda’s lawyers, Lukwago and Company Advocates, over the matter.
Dr. Katumba explains that the council has retrieved the patient’s file from the hospital and obtained statements from the hospital Management and the Doctor that performed the Surgery, but are yet to get details from Kabanda as his known contacts are switched off.
In the letter, the Council tasks Kabanda’s lawyers to write a formal complaint, in addition to furnishing them with all medical documents concerning this matter.
On Wednesday 19th October 2022, at Mulago National Referral Hospital Private Out-Patient at 10 am, Kabanda is presented before a team of specialists including; Radiologist, General Surgeon, Urologists and Neuro Surgeon for further examination.
In a press briefing on Thursday at the Media Center, attended by our reporter Minah Nalule, Dr Joel Okullo, the chairman UMDP council says based on the surgeons and neurologists, medical reports there was no Kidney on the left-side . He says Kabanda has only one Kidney on the right side.
He says there is a possibility that the left kidney could have been fused with the right one during formation.
He explains;” The specialists examined the site of and size of the incision.Their findings were that indeed there was a scar in the anterior abdominal wall, that was far from the anatomical location of the kidney. and according to the site and size it would be very difficult for anyone to harvest a kidney through that site.”
He further explains that according to the mobility of the lower limbs, it was clear that the internal structures were not tampered with and that the incision did not go beyond the skin.
Dr Okullo also says that the neurologists findings found it in order and normal procedure for fat on the anterior abdominal wall to fill the a defect caused by a fracture.
He adds that radiologists confirmed that there was only one kidney ( the right kidney) that is big with two renal arteries supplying it, the main aorta had no branches to the left and had not been tampered with indicating that the left kidney could have fused with the right during formation because of the two arteries.
Research shows that this condition happens to 1 in every 750 persons.
