A decision by the management of the Ahero Subcounty Hospital to close a male ward at the facility has caused uproar and forced the county government to intervene and have it reopened.
The hospital's acting Medical Superintendent Bernadette Achieng temporarily closed the ward in a internal memo dated October 27.
Acheing cited the shortage of staffs in the nursing department for the closure.
"There will be a temporary closure of the male medical ward therefore there will be no admission of male patients," she said.
Consequently, Achieng said that the pediatric ward will shift to female medical ward while the male medical ward would be occupied by female patients.
"This will take effect immediately. Your cooperation will be highly appreciated," she said in the memo copied to OPD, Medical ward and Pediatric ward
However, the county director of health Fred Oluoch noted that this was outrageous and has been reversed already.
Oluoch stated that immediately the memo was reversed, the inadequacies were sorted.
"This was unfortunate, outrageous memo. It was already reversed. Kindly receive our sincere apologies," he said.
The shutdown had not gone down well with locals who questioned why such a decision had been taken saying it was unfortunate that male residents in the area were not allowed to get sick.
During discussions in a Whatssap group, a resident said that Ahero hospital is referral facility that should serve cases from level two health facilities in the area.
"This internal memo is cruel to the service to humanity. Assume we have emergency cases like accident involving boda boda riders who are always male, will they be left lying in the corridors?" he questioned.
Another concerned citizen also wrote in his social media that he was disappointed with the county government.
"So you want to tell me that the male gender is not allowed to be sick at all? What kind of society are we living in?" he posed.
