Hospital on spot for alleged laxity in treating shot student

Kiambu Level Five Hospital is on the spot over claims that it demanded payment before attending to an injured student.

Rodgers Mengo, a Second Year electrical engineering student at Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), died after he was shot in the back on Monday night when criminals raided private hostels at Thathi-Ini village.

After the robbers fled, Mengo’s colleagues and neighbours rushed him to Kiambu Level Five Hospital where, they claim, a hospital attendant asked them to pay Sh300 before any treatment could start.

“I told her we did not have the money in cash, the only money we had was in M-Pesa,” said Bernard Osugo, one of the students who accompanied Mengo to the hospital.

Osugo said they eventually managed to get some money after one of their church elders came to the rescue and paid Sh300.

He said by then Mengo, who was still bleeding, had trouble breathing.

“There were delays on the part of the hospital, and we feel maybe things would have been different had he been attended to promptly,” said Osugo.

KIST Student President Franklin Ng’eno called for investigations to ascertain claims of laxity at the hospital.

But the hospital's superintendent, Jesse Ngugi, denied the claims, saying proper procedure was followed.

Dr Ngugi said the student was brought to the hospital at 1.30am on Tuesday and received at the casualty ward where he was put on oxygen.

He said as the resuscitation process was going on, Mengo's relatives were asked to buy a file and card, both costing Sh50.

This, he said, was part of the hospital's policy requirement for all patients brought in at night to ensure proper record keeping.

“The management of the hospital followed the accepted norms and standards. The resuscitation failed and the patient was certified dead at 2.30am,” said Ngugi.