Coast hospital on the spot over poor services

The main entrance to the Coast General Hospital's marternity wing. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

The Assembly has ordered for investigations into claims that services at the Coast General Hospital (CGH) grinds to a halt at night, thus exposing patients to danger.

The claims ignited a heated debate in the County Assembly yesterday prompting Deputy Speaker Mswabah Rashid to direct the committee on Health to investigate the referral hospital and table a report in the House in the next two weeks.

The hospital serves Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Tana River and Lamu counties.

Nominated Member of the County Assembly (MCA) Caroline Owino in a statement had questioned whether the hospital had adequate staff at night, after some residents complained of poor services.

 REPORTED NEGLIGENCE

"We represent the interest of residents and since there are concerns about the quality of services at the referral hospital, I direct the Health committee to conduct investigations and report back to the House in the next two weeks," Rashid ruled.

Two weeks ago, Raphael Musyimi, a resident told The Standard that he lost his wife at the hospital this year after undergoing a successful caesarian section, owing to negligence.

Musyimi said he took his wife to CGH at 6am on January 25, and at 10pm, she was taken to the theatre for the operation. But at 3pm, his wife developed complications but there was no nurse in sight. She bled profusely until she died.

Yesterday, Ms Owino said she also took a patient there recently but just like many others, she was kept waiting for hours as the patient wreathed in pain.

Another nominated MCA Mary Akinyi backed Owino's statement, saying she had also visited the hospital and confirmed that there were delays in attending to patients.

Coast governors led by Hassan Joho recently announced plans to jointly upgrade the hospital and rename it Jumuiya Referral Hospital, so that it is managed under the Jumuia ya Kaunti za Pwani.