Kisii county in a spot after woman dies of prolonged labour

A section of Kisii residents have expressed their anger at governor Simba Arati’s administration after a 27-year-old woman died at a local dispensary after prolonged labour pains.

The residents said Arati’s administration is to blame for the unfortunate incident for failing to provide adequate supplies to handle emergencies.

The deceased, Phanice Ratemo from Itare village in Nyangoso, was admitted at Magena Dispensary on Monday night after she started to experience labour pain.

Family members said she was then told to wait for the due time for delivery.

“The nurse who received her examined her and told her to wait since the birth canal was yet to be ready for the delivery. She, however, was in pain and was writhing with great discomfort. They never attended to her pain,” one of the family members told journalists.

According to the family, the deceased stayed with the pain for the entire Monday night till Tuesday without any emergency response until she unfortunately died in the evening.

Her death attracted public outcry as residents accused the hospital’s management of failing to handle the patient properly by doing a proper diagnosis of any possible underlying health threat.

“Does it mean that the hospital staff could not have sensed there could be more than met the eye when the woman was writhing in pain the entire night and day and yet the birth canal was not for delivery? There must have been a high level of negligence,” the relative said.

After the news went viral on social media, Governor Arati moved to the facility to for a fact-finding mission and ruled out possibilities of negligence.

“The nurse on duty who was helping the mother while in admission to the facility is the same one who has had a clean record of midwifery in this facility for many years. However, we are trying to establish all the facts surrounding the unfortunate incident,” Arati told the resident who had milled the facility.

But Kisii Woman Rep Dorice Donya, who has been a critic of the administration of Arati, said it was unfortunate that the county leadership had not done enough in equipping primary healthcare facilities.

“It is sad that we have lost the life of a mother and her unborn baby at the very place where they would have been saved. This is not an isolated case because as a leader, I have been receiving numerous calls about the severe challenges our hospitals have, ranging from lack of medicines, diagnostic tools and non-committed health staffs. But every time we speak this out, the issues are politicised,” Donya said.

Her sentiments were echoed by Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri who also lamented the loss saying it should have been prevented had there been proper attention on the patient.

“An expectant mother waiting in pain for more than 24 hours without nurses sensing any alarm is a heartache to us sympathizers. However, I urge all residents to remain calm as investigators do their work. My thoughts and prayers are with the family,” Okenyuri said.

She assured the family that she will ensure the truth is known about the cause of the death.

“As a Senator, I will do the needful in ensuring the family gets justice,” Okenyuri said.

Responding to the accusation over administration of healthcare facilities, Arati said services had been made better and that he was determined to make primary facilities the best in the country.

“We are used to politics of accusations, but where lives of our people are concerned, let’s take caution against misleading Kenyans,” said Arati.

The body of the deceased is being preserved at the Ogembo Hospital mortuary.