Why more patients are trooping in KNH

KNH emergency area where critical patients are received for medical care response, June 11, 2025. [David Gichuru, Standard]

For Caroline Kerubo, Thursday was supposed to be another clinic day at the Kenyatta National Hospital, but instead, the day ended without her seeing a doctor.

Kerubo had been receiving treatment at Mama Lucy Hospital before she was advised to seek another opinion. She later went to German Medical Centre and was eventually referred to KNH for treatment of a growth affecting her stomach and extending towards her neck and chin.

She had been scheduled for a clinic appointment at KNH on Thursday but found herself among a large number of patients waiting to be attended to.

By about 8 pm, she had still not received the care she had come for and decided to leave.

“I was here yesterday, but I had to leave without seeing the doctor because there were too many people,” she said.

Kerubo returned to the hospital early Friday morning, arriving at about 7 am. She eventually saw a doctor at noon and was given another appointment for next Tuesday.

But even after returning early, she was struck by the number of patients at the national referral hospital.

“I had to come back a bit earlier today and I have seen the doctor and got an appointment for next Tuesday, but I was surprised at how many people are there. They are too many,” she said.

Her experience comes as Kenyatta National Hospital reports an increase in patient numbers and congestion following the ongoing industrial action affecting health services in several counties.

On Thursday, KNH Chief Executive Officer Richard Lesiyampe said the national referral hospital was receiving more patients who would ordinarily seek services at county and other health facilities.

The increased numbers, he said, had resulted in longer waiting times and delays, particularly for non-emergency services.

“KNH is experiencing increased patient volumes and congestion following industrial action affecting health services in various counties,” said Dr Lesiyampe.

As a national referral facility, KNH handles specialised and critical cases as well as patients referred from lower-level facilities. The disruption of services in county hospitals has, however, left more patients seeking care further up the health system.

Patients arriving at KNH from neighbouring counties are now adding to the numbers seeking outpatient and specialised services.

One family from Machakos County told the Standard they had been referred from a Level Three facility in the county. The patient's daughter said her mother, who had been unwell for about three weeks, was seen as an outpatient at KNH but was not admitted and they were advised to return.

Another woman accompanying her sick mother said their appointment may have helped them receive attention more quickly, as their names were already on the hospital schedule.

“I think we were prioritised because we had appointments, our names were already in the schedule, but yes, I have to agree I've never seen such a large number of people, especially at a national referral hospital,” she said.

She also linked the unusual numbers to the disruption of services in other hospitals.

The influx comes as the nurses' strike continues to disrupt services in counties, leaving patients who would ordinarily be managed closer to home with fewer options.

For some, this means travelling longer distances to seek treatment at referral hospitals. For others, it means longer waits once they arrive.

The pressure is not limited to patients from one county, with KNH seeing an influx of people from neighbouring areas including Machakos, Kajiado and Kiambu.

KNH, however, said it remains open and continues to provide emergency and critical care.

The hospital encouraged clients seeking non-emergency services to consider other hospitals closer to them, where appropriate, to ease pressure on the national referral facility and facilitate timely access to care.

The congestion comes as the nurses' strike enters its fourth week, with the standoff between health workers and county governments remaining unresolved.

Nurses have been demanding the signing and implementation of their Collective Bargaining Agreement, the implementation of career progression guidelines and the conversion of nurses employed under the Universal Health Coverage programme to permanent and pensionable terms, among other grievances.

The prolonged industrial action has disrupted services in several county hospitals, forcing some patients to seek alternatives outside the public facilities they ordinarily rely on.

At KNH, the consequences are now being felt through increased outpatient numbers, longer waiting times and pressure on a facility that was not designed to absorb every patient whose local health service has been disrupted.

For Kerubo, the effect was simple but frustrating. A clinic appointment that was supposed to take place on Thursday stretched into a second day.

After finally seeing the doctor on Friday, she left with another appointment for the following week and a clear impression of just how much the hospital is now carrying.