The Nairobi government yesterday said the shortage of ambulances led to the death of an 11-week-old baby at the Mama Lucy Kibaki hospital.
Dominic Otieno died at the hospital on Wednesday after waiting for five hours for an ambulance to take him to Kenyatta National Hospital for specialised treatment.
Health executive Bernard Muia said the baby had complicated meningitis and breathing complications.
“The patient was referred to Mama Lucy from a clinic in Komarock. He was received in critical condition,” he said.
The patient’s condition was reviewed by doctors and emergency treatment was started with oxygen support, the health executive said.
The baby was referred to KNH for ICU care, Muia said.
He said the hospital’s only working ambulance had taken another patient to KNH and by the time it was back, the baby had died.
County secretary Robert Ayisi said the hospital has four ambulances but three of them are broken down.
He said patients seeking inpatient and outpatient services at the hospital outnumber its capacity, but plans are underway to expand.
“We are in the process of acquiring five ambulances this financial year, some of which will end up in this hospital. This facility receives more than 1,100 patients seeking outpatients services a day,” Ayisi said.
He said a 30-bed capacity critical care unit will soon be set up.
Just two weeks ago, a mother and her twin babies were reported to have died at the hospital after waiting for many hours to be treated.
Last October, a man died at KNH after spending 18 hours in an ambulance waiting for ICU services.