When Phoebe Towongo Mogga was diagnosed with Covid 19 in 2021, she was angry at the devil. She had been careful and could not understand when she had dropped her guard. She narrates her story on how she opted to be treated from the comfort of her house.

“When my results came back positive for Covid 19, my first question was, why me? I remember asking how it had happened next,” narrates Phoebe Towongo Mogga who contracted Covid 19 in the last quarter of 2021. She says she was upset at the news but at the same time she was prepared. Phoebe says she experiences mixed feelings of anger. “I did not direct my anger to God but to the devil,” she explains. I could not understand how I could have contracted Covid 19 yet we had always been very careful, she wondered.

When I started having flu-like symptoms, I wasn’t worried. It wasn’t too bad initially, says Phoebe, who says she was sure it was just a normal flu. With no cause for alarm, Phoebe called Dr Theopillus Wangata, who has been their family physician for over four years and teleconsulted with him. “Doc prescribed some antibiotics and I was sure the flu would clear in a few days like had happened before in the past,” she says. Unknown to Phoebe, this wasn’t the common flu and the symptoms did not seem to improve. “It felt strange, like nothing I had experienced before. The symptoms took much longer than the normal flu and changed to tiredness and general body pain,” she narrates.

Two or three days later, I realised the antibiotics were not working and I called Dr Wangata but this time I asked him to send me a doctor, says Phoebe. The medical personnel from Precise Healthcare literally stormed our house and in no time they had transformed it into a hospital. “When we went through the tests, I was prepared mentally for any eventuality and despite the news destabilising me, I kept my faith in God,” narrates Phoebe, a practising Christian who says her faith and medication made her well.

Phoebe says that receiving treatment from the comfort of her home made her feel secure. “The Housepital experience was one of the best I’ve ever received. Unlike in a hospital where one goes through so many emotions, at home you are in your comfort zone, which takes away the fear,” she says.

Phoebe says it was comforting to have a nurse round-the-clock as she could share her feelings and seek clarifications. “My dining room was like a dispensary and it was reassuring to have everything that I needed for my recovery. The nurse was also very understanding and really helped me navigate through the illness,” says a relaxed Phoebe.

It was also comforting to see that money was not their main motivating factor as treatment commences even before one pays, unlike in a hospital set-up where one is required to deposit a certain amount first, which in most cases can be quite steep, especially during emergencies, narrates Phoebe, who was visibly much better during this interview.

Phoebe is grateful the Housepital team nursed her back to health. “I’m glad I made it and was able to beat Covid 19, thanks to God and Dr Theo and his team of experts,” she says.