Medical negligence led to deaths at public hospitals, report shows

Professional negligence led to the death of three patients last month, according to a new report by the Elgeyo Marakwet county assembly.

The three were being treated at Tot Sub-County, Chebiemit Sub-County and Iten County Referral hospitals.

A woman died at Tot in Marakwet East while a child died at Chebimiet. The patient at Iten was an elderly woman who had deep septic wounds.

“In the case of Tot Sub-County Hospital, it is clear that there was medical negligence. There was no duty of care on the (patient) as expected of a medical facility. The hospital admitted that indeed the patient was not handled in accordance to the required standards of care and the same could have led to the demise (of the patient),” said Embobut MCA Paul Kipyatich while presenting the report in the county assembly.

He said acts of omission and commission by the medics could have contributed to the death of the patient.

“There could be more cases of unreported medical negligence in the county. When negligence is identified, the facilities are liable for the laxity of the persons they employ.”

Mr Kipyatich noted that in one of the cases, the nurse on duty went to sleep at 9pm after a power blackout and did not attend to the patient.

“The nurses refused to come out of the house even after the hospital watchman told them that there was a sick person who needed attention and was turned away and told to come in the morning. She never returned to the facility until she received the reports that the patient she was handling had passed away at 2am,” Kipyatich told the assembly.

Apparently, the generator serving the hospital had run out of fuel, leaving the place in darkness.

Health Executive Kiprono Chepkok said he was aware of the incidents at the three hospitals.

“There was an element of negligence because the nurse should have taken care of the patient throughout. We took action against the concerned officer,” said Mr Chepkok.

Operational challenges

He however said he was not aware of the facility’s operational challenges, for instance, lack of fuel for running the generator. He said his office was still waiting for the departmental disciplinary committee to give a report for further action on the officers.

The county assembly noted with concern that since 2015, several workers at the health department had either resigned, retired or died, and as such the staff that remained were grossly overworked.

“Most of the staff work outside the recommended 40 hours per week. The overwork has also led to fatigue, which has compromised the quality of services and dampened their morale,” said Kipyatich.

“The Department of Health should take immediate action and fill the vacancies,” he added.