I'm still on treatment, Lukwago reveals

Information from Nairobi, Kenya indicates that the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago is still undergoing intensive treatment but is able to respond to friends and relatives on his personal phone.

"Thanks my brother. I will be fine," Lukwago responded to a WhatsApp message and said a number of tests and examinations had been conducted ever since he was rushed to Nairobi on Wednesday.

He, however, said more tests were to be done in order to ‘establish the triggers of anaphylaxis', which he said leads him to have occasions of shortness of breath and a drastic drop of oxygen circulation in blood.

"Currently, I am getting temporary stabilisers, like nebulization and inhalers," he said, adding that he was indeed still on treatment by pulmonologists working on him.  

Pulmonologists are medical doctors who specialize in treating illnesses related to the respiratory system, including asthma.

Lukwago revealed that the amount of air he inhales currently, according to his doctors, stands at 70% of the normal standard for an adult. "This means that I have a deficit of 30%," he stated.

Lukwago was flown to Nairobi for further treatment after initially receiving treatment at Rubaga and Mulago hospitals.

He was quoted by local media as having thanked medical personnel at Rubaga and Mulago for fighting to save his life.

The deputy Lord Mayor, Doreen Nyanjura, later issued a statement on the health of the Lord Mayor, saying he was diagnosed with acute anaphylaxis, which she said became persistent on treatment.

"While he is not in a critical condition, doctors found it advisable to conduct further examinations and management," she said.

According to Nyanjura, following the doctors' advice, the Lord Mayor departed on Tuesday for Nairobi, where she said he arrived safely and had since commenced the necessary medical procedures.

"The office of the Lord Mayor appreciates the overwhelming concerns and sympathies. We hope for his quick recovery and return to Kampala," she wrote.   
Social media was awash with concerns of the Lord Mayor's health. Close friends and aides, however, said Lukwago had been unwell for some time and on several occasions he had been forced to prematurely abandon public functions.

Anaphylaxis is described by health experts as a serious allergic response that often involves swelling, hives, and lowered blood pressure. In severe cases it leads to shock. It can be fatal if the shock is not treated.

Other medical experts describe the disease as "a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, which requires a medical diagnosis and needs emergency care". 

Allergies to food, insect stings, medications and latex are most frequently associated with anaphylaxis.