Impact of Nakuru War Memorial hospital closure felt following nurses' strike

Nakuru War Memorial Hospital affected by nurse strike.[File, Standard]

The impact of the closure of Nakuru War Memorial Hospital is being felt in Nakuru county, following the nurses strike that began over 40 days ago.

The hospital had operated since 1921, before its forceful closure by the Nakuru County Government on January 23, 2024, which also saw over 300 staff lose their jobs and two patients die.

The county also claimed ownership of the 25-acre prime land in Milimani Estate where the hospital stands, leading to protracted court cases, criminal and civil in Nakuru and Nyahururu.

Two years later, the crisis in Nakuru is alarming, especially at Nakuru Level Five Hospital (PGH), the main public hospital, where dozens of patients allegedly died after the nurses downed their tools.

The Standard reported that last Wednesday alone, 11 people died at the facility, with a hospital insider revealing that the situation would worsen.

Those who died from the deaths documented at night included five adults, three newborns and three children.

"Deaths at the hospital are too many. At the moment, we have had 11 and we fear they might be even more as we have not gotten to all the wards," said the insider.

Following the report, leaders and residents have expressed their concerns on the dangers the strike posed on Nakuru residents, especially the sick.

Speaking in an interview, Nakuru Senator Tabitha Keroche maintained that if the War Memorial was not forcefully shut down in January 2024, then the number of deaths would not be high.

“War Memorial is the only hospital that served both Nakuru residents and patients from other counties well,” said Keroche.

Keroche condemned the county government’s role in the closure of the hospital and the refusal of Governor Susan Kihika to reopen it, despite eight orders directing the reopening.

The orders have not been reviewed to date, with Kihika publicly declaring that the hospital would not be reopened, on the claim that the private management forged a lease title for the hospital land.

Senator Keroche, however, said that the hospital would have helped support lactating mothers, relieve the congestion at the PGH and also help patients with kidney problems.

“The hospital was famously known for having the most dialysis machines for patients who had  kidney problems. Despite needing services daily, the patients are now forced to seek help in other counties,” she said in the interview.

She went further to claim that Governor Kihika herself would not have travelled abroad to give birth, if War Memorial Hospital had been opened, because it provided high-quality services.

“Many hospitals are not functioning in Nakuru and those functioning are overwhelmed. Nakuru residents have the power to choose leaders who would ensure the health status is improved in Nakuru,” she said.

According to Keroche, it was not a coincidence that the mortality rate was high in Nakuru as per the insider who spoke to The Standard.

“Patients have been left with limited options, and at least 11 patients died within 24 hours as services were crippled by the nationwide nurses’ strike.”

Keroche said she did not understand why mothers were suffering in a county led by mothers and called on the residents to take back power from bad leadership.

More deaths have been reported across the country, with surgeries postponed, theatres shut down and wards left struggling, as leaders expected to guarantee quality healthcare remain silent.

Governors who oversee the devolved health system have been accused of threatening healthcare workers instead of seeking lasting solutions.

A healthcare worker who sought anonymity confirmed that some of them were still working because they feared being sacked because of the strike.

“The majority of us are on contract at the hospital, and we cannot afford to strike because we were told that we will lose our jobs,” said the worker.

The health department refuted the claims, saying the majority of the deaths were associated with long-standing chronic conditions and were not attributed to the ongoing nurses’ industrial action.

“Despite the ongoing nurses’ industrial action, we remain fully operational and continue to provide essential health services to patients.” Read the statement in part.