Nairobi Hospital director Dr Job Obwaka, was forced to seek emergency medical attention after falling ill while awaiting arraignment at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on Monday.
The 80-year-old doctor reportedly developed health complications
while inside a Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) vehicle where he
and other hospital officials had been held since morning pending their court
appearance.
The elderly medic appeared weak and was later attended to by
paramedics before being rushed for treatment in an ambulance.
The incident raised concern among lawyers, family members and
medical professionals who had gathered at the court premises for the
proceedings.
Dr Obwaka’s health scare comes two days after his dramatic
arrest in Nairobi, an incident that has sparked widespread debate within the
country’s medical fraternity.
According to reports, the senior doctor was arrested on
Saturday, March 14, by officers from the DCI outside his clinic located at the
NSSF Building in Nairobi.
witnesses revealed that detectives apprehended him at around 9
a.m. as he arrived at the facility to attend to patients. He was immediately
taken into custody and later detained at Muthaiga Police Station.
Family members initially expressed concern after losing contact
with him, saying his phone had been confiscated during the arrest.
It was only later that they discovered he had been taken to the
police station by detectives.
Authorities are reportedly investigating allegations that Obwaka
was involved in falsifying the register of members of the Kenya Hospital
Association, which oversees the management of Nairobi Hospital.
However, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and
Dentists Union (KMPDU) has questioned the basis of the charges, arguing that
the responsibility for maintaining such records lies with the office of the
company secretary rather than individual board members.
The union said Obwaka was not present when the alleged
irregularities occurred, raising concerns about whether the accusations against
the veteran doctor are justified.
Medical professionals and colleagues have rallied behind the
senior doctor, describing him as a respected practitioner who has served
patients for decades.
KMPDU officials warned that the circumstances surrounding his
arrest and detention raise serious questions about due process and the
treatment of elderly professionals.
The doctor has remained under medication as medical teams work
to stabilize him and determine the exact cause of the sudden illness.
The case continues to draw national attention as both the legal
and medical communities monitor developments surrounding the arrest and
prosecution of one of Kenya’s longest-serving medical practitioners.
