Man blames hospital staff for teenage son's death at bus stop

Elias Kibet could barely walk; his legs and face were swollen and he was in pain.

This sudden illness worried his father, Joel Kiprotich Ng’eno. The pair headed for Olenguruone Sub-district Hospital in Kuresoi Sub-County on January 7, where they hoped the 14-year-old would get a diagnosis and treatment.

However, instead of the cure they had hoped for, what followed was an unfortunate series of events, including unanswered questions, an unexplained death and a vandalised hospital.

Things started off well though. On arrival at the hospital, Kibet was taken for laboratory examinations and x-rays. The medics said they could find nothing wrong with the teenager.

“We arrived at the facility at around 11am. It took more than two hours to receive the test results, but no medicine was prescribed,” Ng’eno says.

Ng’eno says he was advised take his son home and return to the hospital the next day, carrying Kibet’s sputum samples.

“I gave him painkillers when we got home because he was in great pain.”

By the next morning, Ng’eno says his son’s condition had worsened. So he woke up at dawn, and was at the hospital at 6am, armed with the samples he had been asked to bring. He was told the samples would be tested for tuberculosis. But there were no signs of TB, the doctor reported afterwards.

But there was bad news.

“The doctor said Kibet, who constantly complained about stomach aches, might have developed a heart disease.”

 The doctor gave them a referral letter saying they should see a cardiologist, which meant a journey to Nakuru, Kericho or Tenwek. And because they were not provided with an ambulance, Ng’eno and his second born son headed to the matatu terminus, not even sure which facility to go to.

“The doctor did not explain exactly which facility I should take my son to. I decided that we should head to Kericho and later decide on the hospital,” he recalls.

 As the father of seven looked frantically for a way to transport his sick child, things took a turn that was even worse than his worst nightmares.

Kibet’s condition deteriorated fast, and just like that, he breathed his last, right there at the bus stop.

“I was shocked. I felt lost for a moment. I tried everything I could to resuscitate him, but he was gone,” says a distraught Ng’eno.

He does not remember everything that happened next, but soon, the bus terminus was full of angry residents. They accused Olenguruone Sub-district Hospital of offering poor services, and blamed its staff for the teenager’s death.

Soon, they were not just complaining but marching towards the hospital. They soon stormed the health facility and within no time, they had destroyed property of unknown value, including the ambulance.

Ng’eno remembered that the ambulance had been parked at the hospital. He did not know that it was one of the things the protesters destroyed. But he asked himself questions: What if the hospital had allowed them to use it, even at a fee? Could his son’s life have been saved?

A hospital van, a vehicle belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture, staff vehicle and a motor bike were also destroyed in the protests. The mob also broke windows at the outpatient department and threatened to burn the facility. They demanded to be addressed by the management, and accused the workers of sluggishness and harassment.

Ng’eno blames the hospital for his son’s death. He accuses the staff of being reluctant to handle Kibet’s case despite knowing he was in deep pain.

“I need justice. How many more people will lose their lives here due to poor services?” Ng’eno asks.

Stable condition

Patients who requested anonymity during a visit by The Standard on Sunday claimed the hospital staff were slow in providing services, leading to long waits or seeking treatment in private hospitals, for those who can afford it.

When we visited the hospital, there was nobody at the customer care desk to direct patients. Patients occupied any space available, and some opted to leave after waiting for hours with no sign of assistance.

Joel Rotich, who lives in the area, says the hospital has been providing poor services: “The doctors should refer a patient a specific hospital with adequate equipment if they are unable to handle a case.”

Dr Poriot Teko, the deputy officer in charge of the hospital, denies these claims.

Teko says Kibet was received as an outpatient in stable condition, though he had a heart ailment. The doctor says the clinical officers who received him advised his guardian to purchase medicine. After returning to the hospital on the second day, Teko says the patient was given antibiotics and injectables, but advised to see a cardiologist in an ‘investigative power’ hospital.

Asked why an ambulance was not issued, the doctor says “the boy was in a stable condition as he was walking and talking. “An ambulance was not issued because the patient was not in critical condition. The family did not also request for the service, provided at a fee.”

To come up with the cause of the death, Teko says more investigations were required, instead of blaming the staff who treated the deceased.

The facility has 25 health workers, including 15 nurses, three doctors, four clinicians, two anaesthetists and a pharmacist, a number Teko says is inadequate for handling the 100 to 200 patients received at the facility daily.

When asked about the claims of poor service delivery and harassment by workers at the facility, the doctor says they have not received such complaints. He insists that the staff are dedicated to providing the best service.

“There is nobody who would like to see a patient ailing as they relax. No patient received here has complained of poor service delivery.”

He, however, admits that there are times the facility requests patients to purchase drugs elsewhere if they are not available at the hospital.

Area County Assembly Hilary Korir says Kibet’s case angered many residents.

The MCA says the hospital’s management should have offered the ambulance to the patient to ensure he received treatment on time, even without his request.

“What happened was the climax of what residents have been complaining about. Patient allege they are forced to purchase drugs in private pharmacies and at times pay for them if issued at the facility,” he claims.

The Nakuru County Government is said to have allocated Sh10 million to the hospital to buy more equipment, and construct a post-surgical ward and call rooms.