Crisis as hospitals in Bungoma, Busia now overstretched

By Francis Ontomwa

The recent terror attacks in Bungoma and Busia counties have exposed serious pitfalls at the country’s public health centres.

Facilities at Bungoma and Busia District hospitals got outstretched following pressure on beds and staff attending to the victims of the crime wave. 

Bungoma hospital records indicated that over 150 patients were admitted and others later discharged from the time the attacks started.

The outpatient records read that more than100 and this included patients who came with minor injuries, quickly attended to and discharged.

A hospital officer in charge of administration and who talked on condition of anonymity insisted that the hospital was overwhelmed by the situation, saying they had little choice but contend with the affairs.

“Our hospital has always been under-staffed and now that more and more patients were being admitted from the recent criminal activities, pressure was high,” stated the officer.

Three weeks ago, the hospital admitted over 48 victims enlisted as inpatients from the crime that hit Kikwechi area, and other patients had to be removed from beds to pave way for the victims of the atrocious activities.

“We had to literally remove some of those who had started recovering to verandas to allow those who were in serious conditions to get priority,” said the officer.

Nancy Amalemba, a patient told The Standard on Saturday, that she witnessed shocking scenes and resorted to get medication from a private facility. St Damiano, a private institution in Bungoma town is another facility that has been receiving victims of the recent atrocities and it is here where the wife of a slain businessman and her daughter were admitted. At Busia Hospital, tens of those who were attacked in Akubwait, Bengo and Segero villages were admitted and although some of them were discharged, a good number is  still recuperating here.

No arrest

“The attacks really took a toll on us, we do not have enough facilities and at the same time we are few, the Government should really move in to address anomalies of this kind to enable us save as many lives as possible,” said a nurse.

Serious cases that could not be handled by local hospitals in both Bungoma and Busia were transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret.  And law enforcers in Bungoma are yet to arrest any suspect in connection with the lynching of eight suspected criminals in the past weeks. Police have remained adamant insisting that no one was cornered at the scene of incidence and have only termed the killings as ‘mob-induced’ and can