Kenyatta National Hospital is highly congested and stretched to the limit, with some patients sharing beds, CEO Lily Koros said yesterday.
Koros said some patients sleep under the beds.
“We have been forced to refer all cholera patients to Mbagathi Hospital so at least we can have little space for more serious patients,” she said in a meeting with a team from the Council of Governors.
Koros said the congestion is as a result of massive referrals from lower level hospitals.
The Kenya's largest referral facility has a bed capacity of 2,063, 50 wards, 24 clinics and 26 operating theatres.
“On average, we have 2,400 inpatients and 2,500 outpatients daily,” Koros said.
She said the current bed occupancy, which stands at 120 per cent, is not sustainable and they plan reverse minor referrals to their original lower level hospitals.
“What hurts most is that 78 per cent of the patients in the same wards are unable to pay their bills. This means we have to strain to give medical services to those who have paid,” Koros said.
She said the rising cases of strikes by county health staff, absence of surgeons, lack of halothane and incubators are the major reasons for most referrals.
Clinical services deputy director Dr Simeon Monda said the situation at KNH is deteriorating each day.
“As I speak, we are forced to put four babies in one court at the newborns unit and four pre-term babies have to share one incubator,”
Monda
said.
He said Kiambu county leads with 22 per cent of all referral cases, with most patients being casualties of boda boda accidents.
Nairobi county has a referral of 20 per cent while Machakos is third with 13.7 per cent.
According to KNH statistics, out of all the cases, those who need neurosurgical attention top the list with 16.2 per cent followed by orthopaedics at 10.4 per cent.
Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony said the counties have increased the number of facilities by 12 per cent for hospitals and 21 per cent for dispensaries in the last two years.
He said the counties have increased maternity beds and theatres by 21 and 14.2 per cent respectively.