Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) has introduced new limits rule on the number of visitors a patient can receive, stating safety and hygiene concerns.
Beginning August 1, patients at the Eldoret hospital will be restricted to only two visitors at a time. The hospital stated that the action is intended to decongest the facility and foster a good and quiet environment for recovery.
In a statement released on Thursday said it said that the move follows an order by the Ministry of Health to tighten security in all national hospitals.
“All patients will now be allowed only a maximum of two visitors at any one time,”the statement issued by MTRH read.
The hospital has also revised visiting hours and relatives and friends will only be allowed in during two time slots between 1:00pm and 2:00pm, and again from 4:00pm to 6:00pm.
MTRH said it expects full compliance and urged the public to cooperate with staff and security personnel enforcing the changes.
“Overcrowding had become a real problem,” said a nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Some wards were full of people and that wasn’t safe for patients or staff. This isn’t just about space it’s about safety and patient care.”
The hospital serves patients from across the North Rift and western Kenya. During busy days, traffic in some of the units spills over into the corridors, hindering free movement for employees.
The new rules come after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale met with heads of public hospitals to discuss security following a recent incident at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). A patient under unclear circumstances died at KNH on July 11, prompting public outrage and a countrywide interrogation of hospital security protocols.
“In light of what happened at KNH, we agreed on immediate steps to restore order in our referral hospitals,” Duale said during a press briefing last week.
Previously, visitor numbers varied from one hospital to another, with some facilities allowing up to four people depending on the ward and time of day. Most of the time, enforcement was relaxed.
A staff member at MTRH told reporters the new measures were long overdue. “We’ve had cases where ten people show up at once, especially during evening hours”
The hospital says it will monitor how the new policy works and make adjustments if needed but for now, it’s sticking to the two-visitor rule.
