‘Anonymous’ patient relatives show up after 2 years

RELATIVES of a man who has been admitted to Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital in Lusaka for two years have surfaced.
The man nicknamed “Elijah” by medical staff at the hospital has been identified as Gift Singoi, 33.
Mr Singoi’s sister, Janet Nangoi, said in an interview on Wednesday her brother went missing in May 2013 from Kabwe, where he lived.
“We don’t know how he found himself in Lusaka because he has never been there before. He went missing when he was coming from prayers with my other sister,” she said.
Ms Nangoi said Gift was not in his right state of mind when he got lost.
“My sister took him for prayer meetings to seek help for his strange behaviour and that is how he disappeared,” she said.
She said the family reported the matter to police stations in Kabwe but he was not found.
“We as family members made every effort to locate Gift, but it was to no avail. We announced at radio stations, police stations, hospitals and even prisons because we thought he had committed a crime. In the end, we gave up,” she said.
Ms Nangoi said she was only tipped by her friend who saw footage on television about an unidentified man who has been hospitalised for two years after an accident.
“I travelled to Lusaka when I finally saw him on social media on the internet after my friend told me that the man in the picture looked like Gift, but I was not sure. When I got to the hospital, I realised that it was actually my brother,” she said.
She said she wanted to get him but the hospital staff could not allow it because he is not in a good state.
Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital principal hospital administrator Gertrude Kasanka thanked well-wishers who have been making donations to Gift.
“Zambians are very good people. A number of well-wishers have donated foodstuff, money, diapers and spiritual support to help the patient. This has lightened the load of taking care of Gift,” Ms Kasanka said.
She said Gift needs special attention before he can be handed over to his relatives.
“We need to first of all teach them how to feed and clean him because he is not in a good state,” she said.

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