The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has opposed the suggestion by the senate committee on health to close Mama Lucy Kibaki hospital.
"The senate hints at closing Mama Lucy Hospital which serves a population of about 2.1m whose daily visits is approximately 1800. This is unacceptable and backward," the union said on Twitter.
This comes after senators and the family of a woman who died in an alleged case of negligence at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital called for the temporary closure of the facility.
The deceased, Maureen Anyango, died at the facility after giving birth to twins.
The union said that the move will adversely affect the entire population in Nairobi Eastlands by denying them the right to access timely, affordable and quality healthcare services.
"Our question to the senate health committee is, are we looking at improving and strengthening the available health delivery units or closing them down?" the union posed.
"As a union, we want to dismiss the senate health committee suggestion of closing the hospital as a load of hot air," the union said.
The family lawyer of the deceased, Bonventure Otieno, and the senators have termed the hospital as a 'death chamber' where patients are taken to slaughter.
“The decision lies with you (committee), the decision to put more of our people at that facility as they walk their journey of death, just like Maureen did as she was being watched by her relatives.”
The lawyers' sentiments to close down the hospital were echoed by Senator Raphael Chimera and his Kitui counterpart Enoch Wambua
Wambua said a time has come to infuse dignity in human life and put things right at the facility to send a firm strong message to all health facilities that, human life is dignified and cannot be bought.
He added that health is a devolved function hence county governments should be held accountable for the happenings in their facilities but said the senate committee is tasked to ensure sanity in the sector is restored.
