• Reports indicated a child who had swallowed paraffin died at the hospital after no staff was present to attend to them.
• Dagane says there was a lapse since the doctor who was to take over the shift had a slight accident and had to seek treatment causing the delay.
Image: GPS
Mbagathi Hospital has defended itself against claims of staff negligence that led to death of a child at the facility.
The hospital on Tuesday said the said child was pronounced dead on arrival at the facility and was not admitted.
Through the County Executive for health Mohammed Dagane, the hospital however admitted that there was a staff lapse at the facility during the change over for the shifts that caused delays.
The delays Dagane said saw patients left stranded before they were later attended to.
Sonko had on twitter threatened to take action against the staff at the facility after it was reported to him that a child had died as the staff watched.
According to the anonymous message posted on Sonko's social media, the first officer arrived at the facility at 8.44 pm but they were not attended to immediately while a second case saw a child die due to neglect from the health officials.
“ I actually texted you because we had an emergency/referral from Korogocho and rushed here at around 7.23 pm sadly there were no doctors doing Night shifts including the records people and we were told to wait until 8.30 pm to get help yet it was an emergency," read the message.
“ Another child was rushed in after swallowing paraffin lost her life while waiting for someone to attend to her," the message read in part.
But Sonko in his response said he cannot tolerate such negligence.
"This the Kind of NONSENSE I don't like and if I take action utasikia tu wakikimbilia media ati napenda kuvuta watu kazi. Nimewapangia raundi hii," Sonko responded.
This the Kind of NONSENSE I don't like and if I take action utasikia tu wakikimbilia media ati napenda kuvuta watu kazi. Nimewapangia raundi hii. pic.twitter.com/PBnPWCrIVV
— Mike Sonko (@MikeSonko) July 22, 2019
But Dagane on phone interview said they held a meeting with the hospital management regarding the claims.
"I can confirm that there was a lapse since the doctor who was to take over the shift had a slight accident and had to seek treatment causing the delay," he said.
He added, "Disciplinary action will however be taken against the doctor who left before being released by the incoming doctor, he should have waited to hand over but instead chose to leave".
This latest incident comes barely weeks after reports indicated that 11 infants died at Kenyatta National Hospital following neglects by officials at the incubation unit.
This will not be the first time the Governor has carried out actions against county health facilities.
Just last year, the Governor raided Pumwani Hospital and uncovered 12 bodies of infants, wrapped in Polythene hidden in Boxes at the facility.