The poor state of health care in Kiambu County has been highlighted again after the Ministry of Health moved more than 700 medical interns to other counties. The action follows the long-standing disputes between the interns, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU), and the county government.
Though the County Government states that hospital operations continue as usual, the medical union has alerted the public about what it terms an escalating health crisis. KMPDU says that there are service gaps in public facilities that are of such a critical nature that patients are advised to seek medical care in neighboring counties.
Central Region KMPDU officials report that more than 100 deaths due to maternal and child health-related issues have been documented in Kiambu since May. Out of these instances, it is claimed that five mothers deaths were caused by late reactions due to the shortage of staff, which is the root cause of the lack of safety. “The pulled-out interns have crippled the delivery of services to the hospital’s main departments. Patients are the biggest sufferers, and we are witnessing the occurrence of preventable deaths,” said KMPDU officials.
On the contrary, the Kiambu County Government refutes the allegations and says that the figures presented are highly exaggerated. They claim that health facilities have adequate staff and that emergency situations can be handled without any trouble.
County officials say that the energy of emergency response continues to be quite good, and therefore citizens have nothing to fear.
The clash that is still there between the two parties outlines the delicate position of public health care in the county and the loss of lives that has attracted various reactions including the call for immediate rescue to save the remaining lives.
