It is been hyped as the third busiest maternity facility within the continent and a pioneer facility in sub-Saharan Africa, an establishment which for decades claimed the title of the best regional facility in offering maternal services.
Started in 1924 as by a charitable organisation, which two years later had a paltry bed capacity of 27, Pumwani Maternity Hospital has tremendously grown not only in capacity but also by its acquisition of state of the art equipment and putting up modern infrastructure.
Unfortunately, that is where the rosy progressive narrative of Pumwani ends. Recently, it has metamorphosed into some backstreet facility where standards and medical ethics are not adhered to. Its medical personnel seem to have reneged on the oath which they solemnly swore to uphold.
The hospital has become infamous for registering many ‘stillbirths’ and baby-swapping scandals. Last year on September 17, Governor Mike Sonko stumbled into a dozen infant corpses as he gate-crashed the establishment.
The explanation the management gave as the cause of deaths and the way they were stored was unsatisfactory, with allegations emerging that, some officials within the facility had hatched a coverup scheme to conceal the fatalities.
KTN on Monday ran a stunning expose of a couple whose baby was exchanged with a dead foetus soon after a caesarean section delivery two years ago. With such a background as a matter of utmost urgency, the state ought to employ all its tentacles and machinery to nab, severely punish and ensure restitutive justice has been served–to restore faith in the institution.
Thereafter, it should hand over separated babies to their biological parents.
Nairobi
