When Edith Netter left Boston, Massachusetts for Africa, It was a dream come true. As an avid traveler she had been praying and hoping to visit four countries, namely; Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. She had planned to visit Kenya’s lush savanna grassland, Tanzania’s Ngorongoro crater, Uganda’s Ruwenzori Mountains and gorilla trekking in Rwanda, among other tourist attraction sites.
Unfortunately, what was meant to be the unfolding of dreams come true took a different turn when she landed in the country.
Edith checked into a hotel, refreshed up and was set to explore the beautiful country and perhaps bond with the local community and wildlife.
Early the next morning she realized she had developed a fever, a persistent dry cough and body weakness. “I was devastated, my plans were shattered. I couldn’t even leave my hotel room, I was just drinking fluids and keeping warm.” Edith explains.
“I was sad that I could not accompany my husband and the team we were traveling with. We had plans but I had to let go while seeking medical help. The hotel manager advised I get admitted to a hospital. But I was hesitant, the idea of spending time in a hospital ward was not an option. I was willing to embrace homecare and be treated at the hotel, to have a doctor treat me in the comfort of my hotel room,” she continues.
It was then that the hotel manager recommended that they refer Edith to Housepital, a modern 24-hour medical service provider that treats patients from the comfort of their homes. When the call was placed Dr. Theophilus Wangata, the general physician at Housepital responded swiftly accompanied by the nurses on duty.
“The call came in very early in the morning, I was driving along Gigiri road heading back to Housepital at Warwick Centre. I had just finished a routine and timely check-up at my patient’s homes,” Dr. Theo explains.
“I asked the hotel manager to connect me to Edith and proceeded to have a virtual consultation with her noting down the symptoms,” he says.
“My husband and I feared we had contracted COVID-19. When Dr. Theo came into the hotel room, he was warm, kind and reassuring. He checked our travel and medical history and assured us that everything was going to be all right.
“I proceeded to check her vitals and noted general weakness in her body, coughs, and high fever, her oxygen levels were also low. I took blood samples, and also performed a COVID-19 test on her and the husband. Fortunately, it turned negative but more tests revealed that she was having a pneumonia Infection and her chest was congested,” he adds.
After a nebulization process, her vitals started stabilizing and getting back to normal. He also administered intravenous antibiotics and fluids. It’s then that her journey to recovery officially began.
“We ensure that we fully support our patients daily until they fully recover, we do this by building respectable relationships and consultations for 24 hours, we also ensure that the hotel room or the house of our patients is safe for diagnosis, medical consultations, and medical applications, if not we advise them accordingly.” Dr. Theo elaborates.
“After four days of medical treatment and observation by Dr. Theo and Housepital medical staff, I fully recovered. Dr. Theo was able to go beyond the normal medical treatment to make me very comfortable, even assisting with my travel and tourism logistics.
Among the services that Housepital provides are; doctor’s home visits, ultrasound, palliative care, medical specialists, critical care, nursing, laboratory tests, homecare equipment, oxygen, echo, doppler, nutritionists, portable X-rays, vaccinations, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and the delivery of medicines.
Edith Netter, an avid reader, an explorer, and a nature and wildlife photographer after fully recovering joined her husband as they continue to capture great memories across the uncharted lands on the African continent.
