Yesterday, national outrage was sparked over a Facebook post detailing allegations of abuse at Kenyatta National Hospital.
The allegations contained in a Facebook group known as “Buyer Beware” accused the hospital of being “a hotspot of all kinds of criminal activities” including rampant rape, petty theft and even murder.
Ms Midred Owiso alleged she had met a woman who fought off a rape attempt in the lift.
“The only thing that saved her was her voice. She screamed her attacker off,” she wrote.
The rape attempt allegedly took place as the woman proceeded to the nursery which is on the ground floor to the third floor where the expectant mothers are admitted. What also came to light was when other group members shared their experiences, alleging that the mortuary attendants would uncover dead bodies when they met the women in the corridors.
What’s most disturbing however is how the management of Kenyatta National Hospital is dealing with the situation.
Addressing journalists after a fact finding visit to the facility, Minister of Health Cleopa Mailu only termed the reports as ‘alarming’, KMPDU secretary general Dr Ouma Oluga said that he had seen CCTV footage of last night’s events and had not noticed any illegal activities captured & worst of all, KNH CEO Dr. Lily Koros denied all claims.
The priority of any hospital should be it’s patients
The sole purpose of such a facility is to deliver adequate health care services to whoever walks in through their doors. This should happen regardless of gender, financial capability or political stance.
The fact that Kenyatta National Hospital has been placed as a centre where Kenyans from all walks of life come to seek medical attention, should put it’s services – for all their patients- at the top of the list.
Also, the fact that these women are coming out and saying how most of them have even been sexually assaulted while asleep, some while they can’t move because they’re under heavy medication and even worse while just from surgery is abhoring and it should be stopped!!
Imagine pushing out a baby or having it cut out of you in a national hospital then being made to walk from 3rd to 1st floor to breastfeed.
Imagine trekking to breastfeed your baby, wounds & all, only to be raped by hospital staff on the way.
Imagine that this happens routinely.— Elayne (@ElayneOkaya) January 19, 2018
A patient should walk in knowing they are in the safest of hands, after all, aren’t we paying buttloads of money to them to make sure we remain alive and healthy?
We live in a country where a whole CEO of Kenyatta National Hospital expects a rape victim to right her rape ordeal on a paper, put it in a suggestion box and hope that someone will read it.
Do. Better. Lily!!!!
Also, ask yourself: Would this be handled differently if the patient population was of a middle class or higher demographic?
Now, Let’s talk about the rape
One, the fact that numerous rape cases occurred – AT A HOSPITAL – is mind-blowing on its own.
Two, hearing how mothers who have just given birth and are trying to nurse their babies are told that the only solution to be given to them is being told to walk in groups, is damn infuriating. Why should I wake up my fellow mothers, who are all exhausted from the experience, so that I can feel safe when going to nurse my own baby? Why?
Third, lifts are meant to help ease these mothers’ movements. Why should a monster think he has the advantage to harass these women at these time? Her first priority shouldn’t be to think about her safety or that of her child from a rapist, her priority is to make sure her baby is well nurtured.
Fourth, Rape is already an unacceptable violation in any community – leave alone in a public hospital and for Lily and the management of the hospital to try and sweep this under the rug is shameful. Listen to these victims, empathize with them and DO BETTER!
İn Kenyatta National Hospital, it seems morgue attendants work in maternity wards where they rape new mothers. Am now worried about what befalls corpses (women) in the mortuary(sic). Being defiled by a morgue attendant is like being defiled by a corpse.
— Agot Bonface (@agot_bonface) January 19, 2018
Catch these perpetrators, let them serve as a valuable lesson and put in measures to ensure safety and security for your patients!
Last but not least, this shows how far we are from how we deal with our women, mothers and children. We still have a long way to go before our women feel safe and protected on these streets – and something MUST BE DONE!
On Nov 29, 2015, Cosmas Mutunga was stabbed 42 times and bludgeoned to death with an iron bar in his bed at Kenyatta National Hospital.
— James Wamathai (@Wamathai) January 19, 2018
It all boils down to this;
Streamline services. We can’t keep talking about the same dilapidated state of service delivery in our public hospitals to hospital insurance fraud to misdiagnosis of patients esp. in the so-called private hospitals to fake drugs to very vital machines that serve thousands a day suddenly breaking down. We just can’t! We need to do better!
The Management should be held responsible
Kenyatta National Hospital is our largest Hospital & refferal & teaching Hospital. It can’t be allowed to have any whiff of medical negligence. But that there could be criminal activities like sexual molestation is beyond. CS Cleopas Mailu should dissolve KNH Board & Management.
— Donald B Kipkorir (@DonaldBKipkorir) January 20, 2018
When CEO Lily Koros said that the allegations should be ignored because no complaints were recorded from the suggestion boxes, I was furious.
In a state where women aren’t already taken seriously about sexual harassment cases, how can one expect women to come forth when even the patient care is utter crap?!?
"Kenyatta National Hospital" maybe trending now,maybe tomorrow and the day after. It's the kenyan way of dealing with things, issues trend and everyone thinks that somehow some action will be taken, the sad truth is that no action is taken. By 2weeks, everything is back to norm.
— Just a girl (@__justagirl____) January 19, 2018
