A disturbing video of a woman giving birth at the reception of Shalom Community Hospital in Athi River as nurses were having tea has caught the attention of Governor Alfred Mutua.
The amateur footage which was uploaded by a man who had taken his expectant wife to the facility, shows the woman in labour struggling on the hospital floor with little assistance from the medics.
The man is heard confronting two nurses, one of whom gives her name as Edna.
“Kwa nini mnaacha mama anaangusha mtoto chini wakati mnakunywa chai? (why are you taking tea when a woman is giving birth on the floor)
“Is this what the management teaches you…unamwambia aamke na unakunywa chai? (you are telling her to stand and you are taking tea)”
According to the man, he was seated at the waiting bay as his wife was being attended to when the woman was rushed in on a wheelchair.
“So as I was seated waiting for my wife to be attended to, an older woman is rushed in on a wheelchair, there are three nurses on the table taking tea, they seem not to bother about the woman despite being notified it’s an emergency case, so the woman pleads with one of them “haki nisaidie” one of the nurses told her to get up and walk,” the man said.
“I helped her up with no aid from a nurse, we made about three-four steps ‘mama akashout mtoto anaanguka’ then boom! Mtoto akaanguka kwa floor” he added.
It was after this that the man picked up his phone and started filming as a male nurse rushed to pick the baby from the floor as the other nurses continue enjoying their tea.
Shalom Hospital later confirmed that the mother and child are doing well.
However, Machakos County governor Dr Alfred Mutua requested the Kenya Medical Board and county health officers to investigate the facility.
“I have watched the disturbing video of a woman giving birth at a PRIVATE hospital in Athi River. Shalom Hospital is licensed by the Kenya Medical Board & is NOT managed by my Government. I have requested my officers & the Medical Board to conduct investigations of these bad acts,” said Mutua.
Adding; “We will not allow patients in any facility – Govt or otherwise – in my region, to be treated inhumanely. Watajua Hawajui.”
He dispatched a high delegation investigative team of both National and County Government officials to Shalom on Monday leading to the arrest of three officials.
Mutua further said the facility risks closure after a review of a one-month clinical audit which starts today. He also invited the DCI to conduct further investigations, with the possibility of charging the owners of Shalom hospital with Criminal Negligence and other crimes.
Here’s a clip of the incident.
