Baringo county referral hospital management has refuted claims that a patient died at the facility on Sunday night as a result of negligence on the part of medical personnel.
The facility officers led by county executive committee member in charge of Health Dr Richard Rotich stated that contrary to the assertion by family members, the patient identified as Docas Jepkemoi was given the requisite medical attention upon arrival and after being admitted.
Rotich addressing the press at the hospital on Monday maintained that a clinical officer attended the patient who had complained of flu and severe chest pains at the outpatient section before proceeding to admit her in the ward for further attention.
He further stated that the patient was unable to talk due to alleged difficulties in breathing adding that blood samples were taken from her to establish the treatment that she required.
Dorcas is said to have been brought to the county referral hospital by family members at 4pm and died shortly after 8.30pm.
A sister in-law to the deceased, Esther Kiogin, claimed that the patient was left on the bed unattended and her attempt to look for a doctor or a nurse when her condition deteriorated proved futile until around 8.30pm when a doctor resurfaced but the patient had already succumbed.
“I run around the hospital looking for a nurse or doctor to assist my sister-in-law and I could not find one. The clinical officer said to be on duty was nowhere to be seen. Why should we bring people to hospital only for them to be left to die? I lost my brother just recently and have not recovered yet and now this one. Where do we start?” sobbing Kiogin narrated.
The father of the deceased, Simon Chepyego, could not hide his disappointment blaming the death of his beloved daughter on negligence by the hospital staff.
However the Health CEC said it was not true that the patient was left unattended after being allocated a bed since the nurse on duty was attending to another critical patient in a different ward and a student nurse who was assisting had gone to call the doctor on duty who responded immediately.
However, Rotich admitted that there was an acute shortage of registered nurses at the Level 5 hospital saying that out of the recommended 250, there are only 110 out of which 20 were on contract.
He restated that an attempt by the county government to recruit more nurses had been thwarted by some people who went to court to block the move on the grounds that governor Stanley Kiptis was exiting and should not engage in employment of new staff.
He however consoled with the family for the loss of their loved one and asked residents not to politicize issues to do with human life as they were sensitive.
