KNH changes time for collecting bodies to avoid meeting of mortuary attendants and new mothers

Mortuary attendants at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) will now collect bodies from the wards at 2am and 4.30am.

This will ensure that they don't meet with new mothers going to breastfeed their children in the nursery.

A report on investigations into claims by new mothers that mortuary attendants have been sexually assaulting them also says the facility is procuring more security equipment.

The mothers, whose babies are housed in a new-born unit because they require special care, claimed they were waylaid by the mortuary workers as they went to the nursery.

And new mothers will now be required to breastfeed their children three times between 9pm and 3am, according to the report submitted to Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu. The report was meant to be made public last week.

Normal stretchers

The hospital will also procure modern body carriage trolleys to replace normal stretchers that are similar to those used to carry patients.

And before going to collect any bodies, mortuary attendants will be debriefed periodically, reads the report that has dismissed claims of rape.

The report says KNH will also purchase more CCTV cameras and Integrated Security System (ISS) digital radio communication sets.

“Collection of bodies is scheduled at 0200 hours and 0430 hours to avoid coinciding with mothers' breastfeeding times,” says the report.

Lily Koros, the hospital CEO, denied claims that some mothers were raped in the corridors and lifts by mortuary attendants as they went to breastfeed.

She said the lifts used by the mortuary workers were different from the ones used by the mothers.

No one has recorded any police statements over the rape allegations.

“The Newborn Unit (NBU) is on level one and not on the ground floor as alleged on social media,” says the report.

On average, between 120 and 140 mothers attend to their babies every three hours, according to the hospital.