By Azael Masese
For three days, James Kariuki Mwangi intermittently laboured to his house for more pain killers.Not knowing that he had a ruptured appendix, he hoped the pain could subside, to continue with his lessons.
“I was preparing the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidate class and thought it unwise to miss my lessons,” the Physics/Mathematics teacher says, with a grimacing face.
Being the best Physics teacher at Buruburu Girls’ School, Nairobi County, he wanted to maintain the tempo.
He teaches 23 lessons per week with an average of five lessons per day from Form One to Four. There are four other Physics teachers.
However, he had been misdiagnosed that his stomach was the main problem and the medic prescribed that he takes medicine to remove any unnecessary materials.
But on that Wednesday, the severe pain was unbearable.
“I however continued teaching and taking pain killers in between, in the hope that my condition would get better but instead worsened,” he says.
Come Friday and while in class, he however decided to seek medical intervention at a health facility.
The ultra sound test indicated that there was a problem with his appendix and was referred to Nairobi Women’s Hospital, Hurlingham Centre, for a CT scan.
“They did not have the equipment and was instead referred to the Adams Arcade branch, along Ngong Road.
With the referral letter, they wondered how I got there, since my case was an emergency,” he says, a situation that saw him admitted immediately.
For a CT scan to be done one has to wait for about two days for NHIF’s approval but the doctor said it was an emergency and could not wait any longer.
Having learnt that he was teaching with a ruptured appendix, he counts himself lucky as a good number of patients with this condition do not stay that long before they die.
He underwent surgery the following day from around 3pm and woke at 7pm, having been induced.
Mwangi who has taught for the last 20 years teaching Mathematics and Physics hopes his employer; the Teachers Service Commission understands his condition.
He sought a transfer from Nyandarua County to Nairobi due to his asthmatic condition and feels that TSC accepts the same. His asthmatic condition got over.
But he fears his current problem might not see him get back to his best as he is also diabetic, has high blood pressure as well as hypertension.
As the sound of the playing girls seep through, he wishes he were fit as a fiddle to continue teaching.
“The way I had planned is different from the teachers who are currently assisting the girls,” he said.
He uses a projector and laptop during his lessons and that has made him develop a special closeness with his learners besides registering improved performance.
His only wish is that he be promoted to become a trainer with Cemastea to champion the teaching of Mathematics and Physics in schools.
“With my current condition and the expected workload, I hope TSC offers me a promotion to become a trainer with Cemastea,” he says, as he voice fades off.
However, he expresses optimism that they are up to the task to take them through as he gets over.
“I have largely been involved in training other teachers in the region through the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (Cemastea).
Mwangi, who emerged Second runners up Itoya in the 2018 Kessha Nairobi County Itoya, is also a Cemastea trainer as well as a STEM champion.
Buruburu Girl’s is the STEM Model School within Nairobi County where Mwangi actively trains other teachers on the best way to teach Physics.
Besides, he has been a member of Strengthening Mathematics and Science in Secondary Schools (SMASSE) right from the onset.
With the help of the medical cover, meeting his medical bills that had ballooned to over Sh500, 000 for the two weeks he was admitted is now easier.
“Before, one had to get a loan and it was a matter of getting your own money as the Sh6, 000 paid was never enough,” he says.
The difference between the past and the present is like darkness and light and is least worried about the incurred expenses.
The National Health Insurance Fund covered the CT Scan and the surgery and the rest by Minet.
He goes for dressing every day but is assured that the medical insurance will take care of the bills.
