Expectant woman dies after being turned away at hospital

An expectant woman died of excessive bleeding after she was allegedly turned away from Homa Bay County Referral Hospital where she had sought emergency medical services.

The hospital's management was yesterday under pressure to take disciplinary action against medical staff who turned away Irene Adhiambo, who was due to deliver her first baby.

Her husband, Paul Mboya, was heart-broken after his wife died at the Rachuonyo South Sub-county Hospital, where she was transferred from Homa Bay on claims the two theatres at the referral facility were busy.

"They refused to help us despite the fact that my wife was in labour and the baby had started coming out. I pleaded with them but they instead put my wife in an ambulance and advised that we take her to the sub-county hospital, which has fewer facilities," said Mr Mboya.

He added: "At the sub-county hospital, the nurses tried to save my wife's life but she was bleeding profusely. They sent me back to Homa Bay, more than 70km away, to get blood. I used a boda boda taxi to Homa Bay but I was called while on the way and informed she had passed on. The child had also died in the womb."

Medics at the sub-county hospital conducted surgery but the patient died in the process, as she had lost too much blood.

Mboya said her wife had not conceived in the past 10 years and they were looking forward to their baby.

"I was happy when my wife finally conceived but now both of them have died," he said.

Homa Bay Health Executive Lawrence Oteng' said his office had launched investigations.

"I have been briefed about the matter and we are investigating," he said.

Dr Oteng' said the patient was reportedly referred to the sub-county hospital due to congestion of theatre at Homa Bay hospital.

"The incident occurred when Homa Bay had other serious cases that needed operations, hence the theatre was full," he said.

Mboya said when he and his wife arrived at the Rachuonyo hospital, medics complained to him over the tendency of their Homa Bay counterparts to refer patients to them for surgery.

"The Rachuonyo medics also said they had two patients who had to be operated on ahead of my wife. My wife was taken to theatre at 5am. Her baby was removed from the womb while dead," he said.

Mboya blamed medics at Homa Bay County Referral Hospital for laxity.

"The life of my wife and her baby could have been saved in the county referral hospital. I appeal to the medics to change their attitude lest many more people lose their lives at the facility," said Mboya.

The County Assembly members had previously condemned the hospital management for abetting negligence and asked the executive to improve the operations at the facility.