Patients kicked out of public hospitals

Empty beds inside one of the wards at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral hospital after patients were sent away following the ongoing strike by medical workers. Patients were on December 16, 2013 kicked out of public hospitals, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, in western Kenya. PHOTO |JACOB OWITI  

In Summary

• At Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu, patients were forcefully evicted from hospital beds by the security officers
• A spot check by the Nation at the hospital’s male surgical ward revealed that some patients’

By Nation Correspondent
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Patients were on Monday kicked out of public hospitals in western Kenya.

Relatives also flocked the health centres to pick their loved ones as the health workers’ strike entered the seventh day.

At Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu, patients were forcefully evicted from hospital beds by the security officers.

A spot check by the Nation at the hospital’s male surgical ward revealed that some patients’ legs may have to be amputated due to their deteriorating health conditions.

Mr George Otieno is one such victim who had a foul smell emanating from his wounds that have not been cleaned since the doctors went on a go-slow a week ago.

Worse still, the patients starved as there was no food and medication to boost their health.

Only staff in the finance department were at work to enable relatives to pay hospital bills for their loved ones. Charges for some patients were even waived.

“I’ve been told by security officers to leave the hospital by midday, but I’m wondering how I will walk downstairs with fractured legs considering that the doctor confined me in tractions,” he said.

The Kisumu boda boda operator lamented that despite the fact that he was happy with the  hospital administration for waiving his bill, he could not walk home.

Even journalists were not spared  by the angry security officers who detained a Nation photographer for close to  two hours after she was found taking pictures of a hospital cleaner  assisting an accident victim by  removing a traction from his wounded leg.

Kisumu District Hospital remained closed, but patients who had no loved ones to discharge them had to stay in the deserted health facility.

19-year-old Rose Adhiambo, who was unable to get treatment at the Kisumu District Hospital on Friday, was forced to seek alternative treatment even as she bled for what she believed was due to a miscarriage.

“I came here at 8am and no one has attended to me. I’ve been bleeding since 5am,” she told the Nation on Friday.

Mr Erick Otieno, a Kisumu resident, said he was forced to use plan B after his nephew was ignored despite being bitten by a snake.

“My eight-year-old nephew was bitten by a snake and couldn’t get treatment both at the local dispensary and JOOTRH in Kisumu where he was rushed to.

Thank God the little boy got care from elsewhere and is responding well to medication. What about hundreds in critical state but without any option?” Mr Otieno posted on Facebook.