Women leaders have urged Kenyatta National
Hospital (KNH) to own up to insecurity challenges at the country’s
largest referral facility.
National
Assembly Health Committee chairman Sabina Chege on Saturday said the
rape allegations raised online should be investigated and addressed.
OUTRAGE
She
said that the Health Committee would investigate the allegations
levelled at the hospital in a series of Facebook posts on the ‘Buyer
Beware’ page.
The issue was raised on Facebook by Ms Mildred Owiso and it elicited online outrage from Kenyans.
Facebook
posts by women in response to the initial post have detailed shocking
allegations of nurses killing ‘stubborn’ patients in the wards and
babies in the facility’s newborn unit; attempted rape by morgue
attendants, cleaners and male nurses; neglect by nurses; and physical
abuse.
CS Dr Cleopa Mailu has ordered an
investigation into the allegations and is expected to make the probe
report public on January 23, 2018.
VISIT
Ms Chege and other women leaders visited the hospital on Saturday.
The
new mothers told MPs they usually leave their ground and third floor
wards three times every night to breastfeed their newborn babies at the
first floor newborn unit.
“The
mothers are usually housed on the ground and third floors at the
hospital’s old wing, and have to go up or down to breastfeed their
babies, usually unaccompanied by security personnel,” said Ms Chege
during a press conference at the hospital.
The
Murang’a Woman Representative said the major concern was that the
mothers sometimes met mortuary attendants wheeling bodies to the morgue.
“They
meet with mortuary attendants especially at 3am and get scared, forcing
them to run because of the bodies on stretchers. The second floor,
where most mothers pass through to access the newborn unit, is poorly
lit and does not have security personnel,” she said.
INVESTIGATIONS
Samburu
West MP Naisula Lesuuda said: “KNH management should keep an open mind
to allow thorough investigations into the allegations.”
She said that one mother told them she was once accosted by a male patient on the corridor as she went to breastfeed her baby.
“After
she reported to the management, they increased security on that
corridor. It is clear that it is aware of what is happening, otherwise
they would not be telling mothers to go in groups or to avoid lifts with
males,” said the MP, who also warned KNH against detaining patients
over unpaid bills.
Homa Bay Women
Representative Gladys Wanga criticised the hospital’s CEO, Dr Lily
Koros, over claims that the management is unaware of the incidents.
“We
were told the mothers were called on Thursday and informed about the
case of a mother who entered a lift and met four men. She was afraid
they would rape her, and ran out screaming. The management should just
own up so that the problem can be resolved,” said Ms Wanga.
DENIAL
On
Friday, Dr Koros said hospital security was yet to receive any reports
of attacks against patients and she asked the public to ignore the rape
and attempted rape allegations.
Police
officers at KNH, who could not be quoted because of protocol
restrictions, also said they are not aware of such incidents as they had
not received any report.
“My work is
to stay outside here until my shift is done and then leave. I am just
like a gate watchman and do not know anything about what goes on inside
the wards,” said an officer at the parking lot.
DEMANDS
The women legislators urged the KNH management to move new mothers closer to the newborn unit to avoid attacks.
They
also asked the hospital to ensure the corridors are well lit and to
fast track the CCTV programme, which they said was only 30 per cent
complete.
Dr Koros had defended the
idea of mothers walking from the ground and third floors to the first
floor as justified “since the distance is not too far”.
MPs proposed that mothers be accompanied by security officers to and from the newborn unit.
CONCERN
Meanwhile,
the Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (Fida) has added its voice to the
chorus of concern over allegations of rape and abuse at the hospital.
“FIDA
has followed with great concern and is deeply troubled by the emerging
reports highlighting horrific incidences of sexual abuse at Kenyatta
National Hospital for nursing mothers admitted therein,” the
organisation said in a press release signed by chairperson Ms Josephine
Mong`are.
“Patients, and especially
mothers, should expect and experience the highest standard of care and
must feel protected while they are at their vulnerable stages in life as
inpatients.
“Outright denial and
immediate dismissal of the said incidences by the hospital’s management
without conducting preliminary investigations into the matter is
worrying.”
The association termed
“the shameful acts” an “outright violation of our women’s dignity and
the right to lead a decent life and a violation of their constitutional
entitlement to the highest attainable standard of reproductive health as
guaranteed under Article 43(1) (a)”.
Fida urged the state to urgently commence investigations into the alleged incidents and ensure patients are secure.
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