Empty beds mark the acute crisis at Baringo County Referral Hospital in Kabarnet as patients flee the facility owing to slow services and a shortage of staff.
An impromptu visit by county Health officers, accompanied by
journalists on Tuesday, showed few activities as patients are seeking help elsewhere.
“There were no doctors or nurses to attend to us over the weekend so I watched two of my fellow patients succumb to their illness on Sunday,” a patient told the media at his hospital bed.
He decried the filthy state of the wards saying nobody cares to clear the mess after a patient dies or is transferred.
A woman at the maternity wing spoke of too much congestion. She said expectant mothers were being harassed by the few nurses on duty.
“Despite teething challenges, we are committed and trying our best to make sure the facility is up and running,” county Health executive Mary Panga said.
Panga refuted the claims on social media that the facility is about to collapse, saying the information only helps to scare and kill the morale of the hardworking staff.
Health Chief Officer Dr Gideon Toromo and his Preventive and Promotive Health Care counterpart Dr Winnie Bore were present.
But shockingly, there were empty beds and a handful
of patients in the wards while a few nurses could be seen running up and down.
“Shortage of doctors, lack of an operational ICU, oxygen plant and a blood bank are the major reasons why we transfer our patients,” Toromo said.
Toromo also noted slow services
owing to shortage of staff, “the county government is currently not in a position to employ more staff due to the high wage bill,” he said.
They further said so far the staff shortage has caused closure of some nine dispensaries across the six subcounties.
“If there were sufficient funds, we would wish to improve our Level 4
subcounty health centres in Marigat, Mogotio, Chemilong’ot and Kabartonjo to reduce the referral cases,” Toromo said.
Medical Superintendent Samson Ajanja said he hopes the shortage of staff will soon be addressed.
Panga said the department will in the next one-and-half months hire
10 nurses on internship
to
serve in the closed dispensaries.
Currently, the hospital has eight consultants, two Cuban doctors, seven medical doctors, 23 clinical officers, 90 nurses and five pharmacists.