County government on spot over poor state of hospital wards

Three patients share bed at gynecological Ward 2 at the Kisumu County Hospital. [Denish Ochieng/Standard]

The county government is on the spot over the poor state of its referral hospital, where some patients share beds and sleeping on the floor.

Patients and their relatives have protested at the conditions in wards even as the county government shifted the blame to the national government over the poor infrastructure at the 180-bed hospital.

Mr Aloice Ager, the director of communications at the office of Governor Anyang' Nyong'o, said the county referral hospital was overstretched.

He said the national government had undertaken an expansion of the facility but the works stalled in 2013.

“We recently held a meeting at the site with the contractor and agreed that work will resume as soon as we get development funds from the central government," he said.

Mr Ager said the county administration was committed to offering healthcare support to its residents with the minimum resources available.

“They would rather share beds and mattresses on the floor and have access to treatment at the facility,” Ager said.

He said the agreement between the county government and the contractor was signed before the current medical superintendent, Frank Otieno, reported at the facility.

Dr Otieno also admitted that at Ward 2, the gynaecological ward, patients shared beds due to shortage of facilities.

Mariam Abdallah of Kisumu Advocacy and Accountability accused the county government of not being keen on providing quality medical care to residents.

“There is a need to expand the ward so that patients are treated in a conducive environment to foster the healing process,” said Ms Abdallah.