Clinical officers want all hospital visitors banned from carrying guns

Clinical officers want all firearm holders banned from carrying them into health facilities.

The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers on Wednesday said several health workers have been assaulted, threatened or injured and that must be stopped. Its officials spoke in Nairobi.

Their call came after a clinical officer was threatened at gunpoint by a police officer while attending to a patient in Emuhaya Subcounty Hospital, Vihiga, on Wednesday last week.

The patient, alleged to be the officer’s girlfriend, was receiving treatment after she was allegedly assaulted by the cop. He stormed the hospital, tore the notes that had been recorded by the clinical officer and left with the patient.

It is believed he wanted to conceal evidence and preempt assault charges that would likely to be levelled against him by the woman. He warned the clinical officer not to talk about the issue anywhere.

The whereabouts of the girlfriend remain unknown. The police officer, however, continues to walk free even after the medical officer and the Emuhaya Subcounty Hospital management lodged complaints with Luanda police under OB4/18/5/2019.

The union now wants the medic released from duty and provided with round-the-clock police protection until the matter is fully resolved.

“It beats logic to allow firearm holders to carry guns to hospital while they are prohibited to carry them to other places like planes,” union secretary general George Kibore said.

They want the police officer arrested and prosecuted for misuse of a gun. They have petitioned Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, IG Hillary Mutyambai and IPOA to have the firearms law amended to stop holders from carrying them to health facilities. They also want all hospitals provided with police security to avoid similar incidents.

“We want the CS and the IG to assure health workers of their security, especially at night, failing which we shall withdraw our members from night duty,” chairman Peterson Wachira said.

In August 2017, Faustine Mwadilo, 43, was shot in the head by a patient at Chiromo Lane Medical Centre. He was trying to convince the patient, a licensed gun holder suspected to have been mentally ill, to surrender the gun.

This led to an uproar and debate on why mentally ill people should be allowed to have firearms.

(Edited by F'Orieny)

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