Senators shocked by state of Kiambu Hospital during surprise inspection visit

Kisii senator Richard Onyonka inspects Kiambu level 5 hospital kitchen during the senate health committee tour. [George Njunge /Standard]

The Senate Committee on Health yesterday made an impromptu visit to Kiambu Level 5 Hospital following a recent dispute at the facility that saw doctors take to the streets in protest over poor working conditions.

The committee found long queues of patients seeking medical attention, many complaining that delays in the hospital's IT system had kept them waiting for hours before being served.

The senators, led by committee chairman Jackson Mandago, toured all departments of the hospital and held discussions with both staff and patients.

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka was told by one patient that there was no stretcher available to move his deceased relative from a van to the morgue, prompting the senator to intervene.

Onyonka later expressed shock at the state of the hospital's kitchen, laundry division, and broken-down incinerator.

"We have good shades for cars here, but what really matters is in a terrible state. The situation has taken me aback," he said.

He questioned how such a major facility could have a kitchen with a collapsing ceiling and meals that did not match the hospital's standards.

Mandago said the committee was aware of the prolonged doctors' strike, following a standoff with the county government.

"We encountered long queues caused by a slow IT system. When a system is this sluggish, patients move from one department to another without being cleared in good time," said Mandago.

He also raised concern about the high number of teenage mothers who had not registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), making it difficult for the hospital to serve them.

"We urge every mother to register with SHA to enjoy the benefits of the scheme, avoid delays in hospitals, and prevent unnecessary bills," he said.

Mandago further noted that the hospital's waste management system was in deplorable condition, with piles of medical waste left in polythene bags.

"Medical waste is hazardous and must be handled with special care. We found a broken-down incinerator and urge the county government, through the county assembly, to ensure a functioning incinerator is installed to safely dispose of this dangerous waste," he said.

He added that revenue collected at the hospital should be reinvested in improving the facility itself. "We have cases where such collections are diverted to other departments," he observed.

Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli also raised alarm over the poor state of the hospital's mortuary, which he said lacked sufficient cooling systems.

"We struggle a lot in this world, and when someone dies, they should at least be treated with dignity. I am disturbed by what I have seen in the morgue. Workers are doing their best under very difficult circumstances. The freezers are not working, and the medical waste is nauseating," said Wakoli.