Sixty infants have died at the Kiambu Level 5 Hospital since December last year.
The mothers of the newborn babies and their relatives have raised alarm, while the hospital defended its staff.
The hospital’s medical superintendent Jesse Ngugi yesterday said the infants died because they were either born before their time or because they developed respiratory complications.
He said the deaths did not result from negligence or equipment failure. He said 30 newborns died in December. Another 20 died last month. Ten infants have already died at the hospital in this month alone.
“The deaths can be explained because we do a mortality and morbidity audit for every death that happens in the newborn unit. That is to make sure we have continuous improvement in the quality of care we provide to patients,” Ngugi said.
He said all the hospitals’ incubators were working and the newborn unit was functional.
“Even our doctors and nurses have not been on strike,” he said.
Relatives of women who lost their babies said the hospital did not explain the deaths.
Joseph Mureithi said he took his wife to the hospital after she developed complications during pregnancy.
Read also:
The woman was advised to undergo an X-ray. He said he was advised to seek the services elsewhere, adding that the hospital said its X-ray machine was not working. “I had no choice but to pay Sh3,000 for the services elsewhere,” Mureithi said.
The wife was later admitted. After two days, she underwent an operation through which a boy weighing 2.7kgs was delivered.
But the joy of the birth was short-lived. Mureithi left the hospital for home as the baby was taken to an incubator.
Before he reached home, he received a call. The baby had died.
“I felt bad because it was my second child to die at the Kiambu Level 5 Hospital after being born. I don’t know why this is happening because the hospital is not explaining,” Mureithi said.
Mary Wambui said that she took her neighbour to deliver at the facility. They were from Githunguri.
An X-ray found the baby was not well-positioned in the womb. Doctors recommended surgery.
The operation was successful and the baby was placed in an incubator. “The baby did not make it out of the incubator,” Wambui said.
The neighbour was discharged after a few days but was returned to hospital after C-section wound became infected. “They asked her to pay Sh5,000 for a second operation,” she said.
Wangari Ngubia took her daughter-in-law to deliver at the hospital. Her son is in jail. The grandchild was born but died after being taken to the newborns’ unit.
That day, five other women lost their infants, Ngubia said.
“I suspect the many students handling expectant mothers are not experienced enough,” she said.
She said her grandchild developed breathing complications but nurses failed to respond in good time.
Ngugi admitted the hospital offers medical training “but no students are allowed to operate or give services unsupervised”.
“There was no student who attended as claimed,” he said.
Ngugi said the hospital has the best newborn unit in the country where at least eight babies are delivered daily.
“We have qualified nurses,” he said.
Ngugi said some deaths were caused by mothers’ failure to attend antenatal clinics. “They only come to the hospital when they are due for delivery.”
Failure to attend clinics means mothers lose out on proper guidance on required diet and behaviour.
“Lack of eating well results in weak babies born when mothers are tired and malnourished,” Ngugi said.
He said those with complaints can register their dissatisfaction with the medical services nurse in charge and the administration.
“All complaints will be duly addressed and political indulgence sought from the county assembly and the governor so patients get better services,” he said.
Women in the wards complained of poor services. “Babies taken to the incubator do not survive,” said a mother who declined to be named.
Those who underwent surgery said their wounds were bandaged with low-quality tape. “The wound may not heal in good time.”