Understanding the drift
facing all public hospitals
By Martin Masai,
Editor/ Publisher
It is now emerging that the rot at Machakos Level 5 hospital is deeper than earlier thought as the Machakos County Government puts up a grand cover-up show.
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| Dirty linen at the hospital |
As we went to press, The Anchor can confirm from multiple sources that the Hospital's Medical Superintendent Dr Benjamin Nzomo was demoted and transferred as an ordinary medical officer in Kathiani Hospital after he wrote a two page unflattering letter that concluded that the hospital services were collapsing.
He listed the theatre and ICU as having stopped operations due to continuously running out of critical consumables.
His replacement is yet to be found as prospective candidates are unwilling to jump into the raging inferno at the hospital where survival is based on see no evil, say no evil policy.
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| Letter from Dr Nzomo |
Yet, County Health Minister Daniel Yumbya claims that all is well at the hospital and has refused to respond to documentary evidence from disgruntled officials. Yumbya went ahead to deny knowledge of the letter in a radio interview on Mbaitu FM this morning and flatly refused to acknowledge that there was any problem at the hospital or that anyone had been demoted due to the letter.
It leaves no doubt therefore that either the government of Governor Wavinya is under some sort of capture that is making it difficult to act and change the state of healthcare in the county's biggest hospital. This is as reports emerge that other hospitals in the sub-counties are facing the same administrative malaise and nothing is being done given the level and tenacity of denial by Wavinya's Chief Health Adviser- Dr. Daniel Munyao Yumbya, a holder of a honorary PhD degree.
Others removed and demoted are Halima Adan, who was Director of Nursing, who was posted to Matuu Hospital to serve as a nursing officer. Her deputy- Faith Mutisya, will succeed her.
Director of Public Health - Dr Kimuyu was demoted and sent to Kathiiani as an ordinary doctor. He was replaced by a nurse- Anne Wanyaga.
Mr. John Nyamboga is the new director of Programmes and Partnerships, taking over from Dr Muthama, who was demoted and sent to Athi River as a medical officer.
No official posting order was published, but the affected officials were given the marching orders individually.
The new directors have been picked from unions of health officials after a night meeting with nurses at White House last Wednesday.
Multiple sources say the transfers were effected without involvement of Dr.Yumbya, an indication of a power struggle between Dr Yumbya on the one hand, and union chiefs led by Mr. Mike Saka, Medical Services Chief Officer Dr Miyenda- the personal doctor of the governor whom she hand picked from Mater Hospital and a powerful unseen hand that manipulates hospital procurement to stock-out levels, on the other.
The multiple sources say the situation is so pathetic that a consultant medic once told a formal meeting that patients who get admitted to the medical wards face 40 per cent probability of dying.
" Doctors sending patients for lab tests wait in vain, or weeks if they are lucky for results to be provided," said a doctor who prefers to remain unnamed.
The sources say that though the hospital may have working equipment, it is the consumables for use for clinical investigation, radiology, surgery, ICU, and maternity.
" Patients at the wards can wait for weeks before drugs come around. They parade empty cartons to flatly lie that there are drugs on the store, the sources say, adding that that is the same trick used when the governor came calling last Friday.
Governor Wavinya had a rude shock herself when she was given a prescription for three drugs at the labour ward only to find them to be out of stock at the pharmacy.
The county owes Kenya Medical Supplies Kes 137m and was last supplied in December 2023.
