• In the maternity ward, he witnessed new mothers sharing beds with their newborns.
• The situation was the same in most wards that he visited.
Image: SAKAJA'S FACEBOOK PAGE
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Sunday encountered the mess in the health sector in the city when he visited Mama Lucy Hospital.
The governor made an impromptu visit to the hospital to ascertain complaints that health facilities are poorly run, leaving patients and staff to suffer.
His visit came a few days after a woman who gave birth to twins at the hospital died due to excessive bleeding.
Sakaja was in the company of his deputy Njoroge Muchiri and a few officials when he visited the facility on Sunday.
He was informed that most medical personnel were not on duty.
At the facility, the governor witnessed dozens of patients sharing beds.
A new mother had just given birth, but because of lack of beds, she was made to sit on the waiting benches. Sakaja intervened and instructed the few nurses on duty to attend to her.
In the maternity ward, new mothers were sharing beds with their newborns.
The situation was the same in most wards he visited.
"Mothers should not be sharing beds, patients not being attended to on time, drugs not being available. I apologise on behalf of the previous administration as well as the NMS for the state of things,” Sakaja said.
He said the situation was terrible and promised to improve things.
“We will take better care of you. I will not rest until we achieve this. I also spoke to and condoled with Robert who lost his wife and is left with the twin infants. This should not happen to anyone else. We will make health work in Nairobi,” the county chief said.
Robert Omondi is the man whose wife, Maurine Anyango, died last week after giving birth two their two boys. She died of excessive bleeding two days after delivery.
While visiting one of the drug stores. Sakaja said he was saddened by the fact that all entries for stock are done manually.
The lack of medication was evident. Sunday was also a lucky day for patients who had been held hostage for non-payment of services. Sakaja ordered their release, promising to pay their bills.
He further promised to have an open-door policy for all MCAs to ensure that their needs and those of the people they represent remain his administration's priority.
His move came after Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union complained of a trend where governors visit health centres and hospitals, parade health workers, decry the poor state of facilities and intimidate them.
“We will not stop you, but while at it make your contributions to the healthcare sector in your counties. We ask you to make those county hospitals your first point of call when you fall ill and do not run for cover or to the city,” the union said in a statement.
The union told governors to make healthcare work in their counties by hiring and training doctors, remitting NHIF and other statutory deductions.
“Equip and facilitate service delivery through adequate funding. Pay doctors and healthcare workers on time. When your terms come to an end, remember you may wish you did better.”
The union told governors to prioritise peoples’ health as part of their populist projects.
“Erecting expensive billboards, praising yourselves on TV and newspaper adverts, setting up unnecessary offices, buying new furniture and cars may seem stylish."
“But know Kenyans loathe these because as you do it at the expense of their health. When you fail to pay salaries and buy drugs all the while pointing fingers at doctors, it is inhuman,” they said.
Edited by A.N