• The video shows patients left unattended overnight.
• A nurse is seen trying to evade the camera.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
Mombasa county assembly Health committee vice chair Fatma Kushe led a delegation of Mombasa women MCAs to assess the situation at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital.
This is after a video went viral showing patients left unattended overnight. It was taken by someone who complains that they got to the hospital at about 6pm and were unattended to up to 6.30am the following morning. A nurse is seen trying to evade the camera.
The nurse in blue, is seen ignoring the complainant, and instead going about her business. Kushe, who is a nominated MCA, said the Coast General Hospital had a major improvement in service delivery and the video has caught them by surprise.
“We had talked about this and even had some motions passed in the county assembly so that residents are served better. Service had drastically improved and the healthcare has been world class,” Kushe said.
However, she urged residents to try and understand the healthcare workers, who she said, sacrifice their social lives and put their lives on the line to help patients, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kushe, who has been a champion of health issues in the county, said the CGTRH has done relatively well in the care of patients, especially with the advent of Covid-19.
“Health workers and community health volunteers have been doing tremendous work since Covid-19 came to Kenya,” Kushe said.
She singled out two workers — Mwanasiti Abdalla, a public health officer, and Christopher A — for praise, saying they have served Coast residents with utmost dedication.
“If I had the ability, I would have rewarded these two with promotions and a hefty salary increment. They have dedicated themselves to serving patients with passion,” Kushe said.
Kushe said the video that went viral is a pointer that residents expect excellent services from the hospital after being treated to world-class services at the facility lately.
“It is like giving a dog a juicy bone and then trying to take it away from it. It might bite you, even if you are the owner,” Kushe said.
However, she called on Governor Hassan Joho to continue ensuring the county constantly discharges its duty with utmost professionalism.
On Saturday, during the launch of the biometric registration of indigents for the Universal Health Coverage programme presided over by President Uhuru Kenyatta, Joho said the county had made tremendous strides in healthcare.
The governor said the close collaboration between the national and county governments has enabled effective discharge of healthcare functions.
“Indeed, the CS has achieved a lot in a short time, not only in Mombasa but also across the country,” Joho said, attributing it to renewed energy towards the health sector from different stakeholders.
He called for more funds to be channelled to the counties for the UHC rollout to be effective and sustainable.