Patients horror in hostile takeover of city hospital

Labour had set in and the turmoil that was unravelling at dawn was an unwelcome intrusion into Alice’s world.

She had hoped for comfort as she started the joyous but painful journey to motherhood, and the serenity of the church-run hospital fit the bill.

So when the distant pangs stirred her awake at 4am, she knew her bundle of joy was only hours away.

She braved the pain, tossing and turning on her bed, until the quiet of the maternity ward was shattered by a commotion at about 6.30am, the noise becoming louder as the aggressors drew closer.

St Mary’s Hospital in Lang’ata, where Alice had been admitted on Wednesday evening, was under siege.

A place of refuge for the sick had turned into a theatre for an ugly brawl.

Screams, kicks, blows, stones, and blood.

Nurses fled, leaving patients on their own.

War broke out

“It looked like some people were forcing themselves into the facility while others were resisting. Then war broke out, followed by throwing of stones,” Alice recalled as she went into another kind of distress, in panic about her safety and her baby’s.

She had been booked at the facility the previous evening.

“I felt distant labour pains and decided to come to avoid being caught unawares like before. But from 4am, l started experiencing intense pains and it looked like I might give birth by today evening,” she explained.

Alice recalled that the patients in the ward were almost running out when two police officers came in and told them not to worry, that everything would be fine.

The officers stood guard at the door and she could see through the window more policemen in the compound.

The nurse who had been in the ward had taken off.

At around 10am, Alice’s labour pain was getting intense.

“I am told there are new nurses, but l have not seen any here,” she said.

Like Alice, there were hundreds of patients stranded in the hospital, not sure what to do or if whether they would be treated. It all started in the morning when auctioneers came to evict the current management of the hospital. The commotion threw patients into panic.

There was a heavy presence of police officers both at the gate and inside, standing in groups of six, five, and four at the doors, including the wards, keeping vigil.

Confusion reigned. Some patients came out of wards but those who were seriously ill remained in their beds.

“I broke my leg and a metal plate has been inserted, therefore, l cannot even move on my own,” said Maurine Wanjiku from Adams, along Ngong Road.

Grace Moraa from Umoja, who had brought her baby for clinic visit, was stranded.

“I gave birth at the facility several months ago and had brought my baby to the clinic but l found confusion. I’m not sure if the baby will be seen,” she said.

At the paediatric ward, all beds were empty. All the mothers took off with their babies when the scuffle started.

According to Julia Adhiambo, a nurse who was in the ward the previous day, there were around 40 children admitted.

“Both the children and their mothers cannot be traced,” said Adhiambo, who was outside the facility.

Some patients decided to leave because they were not sure they would be treated.

Audi Maurice, the incoming hospital manager, promised that all would be well once his officers settled in.

“We arrived in the morning to take over the management of the hospital but the old management is causing chaos. The doctors, nurses, and other staff under the old management started pelting us with stones and that is the reason some patients are stranded,” said Mr Audi.

For seven years now, the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi have been fighting over the ownership of the hospital with its founder, Dr William Fryda.

The auctioneers were acting on an order issued by the High Court in Nakuru on December 20, 2017, that declared that the old management under Father Fryda relinquish power to the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi.

The court ruled that the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi were the rightful owners.

Adhiambo said she was going to see some patients in the morning when the evictors arrived.

“They immediately started beating pulling me down. I was rescued by male staff who heard me shouting for help,” said the nurse, displaying a bruised leg.

“I heard a patient shouting and woke up to see what was happening. As l was about to enter the children’s ward, l was hit with a stone on the forehead. I also saw some unidentified youths charging at me and ran into my house,” narrated another nurse, Eveline Randika.

Audi denied having knowledge that any old staff had been hurt.

“Auctioneers work in their own ways and l cannot comment about it. If there is anyone hurt, it could be that they tried to engage them in fights,” he said.

The incoming manager says he was ready to work with any old staff member who wants to remain. “I have no problem with old staff members. My problem is the management, who must leave,” he vowed.

Lang’ata OCPD Elijah Mwangi, who was leading the police officers manning the hospital, said he was not aware that anyone had been injured.

“There is a court order and we came here to ensure there’s law and order during the transition. I am not aware of anyone who was hurt in the morning incident. If there is any, let them report and we will do our investigations,” he said.

The OCPD said police would continue to maintain security at the facility until everything was peaceful.

The old employees pointed out a group of unidentified youth, whom they claimed had been terrorising them all day.

“These people beat and broke my hand. I went to get medical attention at the facility but was chased away by the new nurses,” said a support staff, Paul Kiprop.

CEO agreed

Dr Brian Nyangeri, the hospital CEO, said that although there had been court battles for more than five years, he had not been served or seen any court order that the auctioneers claimed they were acting on.

Nyangeri said he was shocked in the morning when a gang descended on the hospital and started beating up the employees, ordering them to leave.

“The manner in which the so-called eviction is being carried is unfortunate. We are dealing with the lives of people and there must be order in how things are done,” he said. He explained that there were patients on life support machines, others due to deliver, and others on normal treatment, who had suffered because they were denied entry.

Lang’ata MP Nickson Korir, who visited the hospital, insisted that the transition be conducted in a humane manner.