Isiolo medic says he was demoted for revealing referral hospital’s plight to media
Dr Mohammud Abdikadir. He says he has been demoted as the medical superintendent of Isiolo Referral Hospital for talking to the media about problems facing the hospital. But county Health Executive Asha Abdi said Dr Abdikadir had only been given a different responsibility. PHOTO | VIVIAN JEBET | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- In an interview with the Nation, he said he “was being silenced from talking about poor health services at the referral hospital”.
- Last week, he told a press conference that the hospital lacked enough blood units.
- On Monday he said the referral hospital had unreliable emergency services as only two of its nine ambulances were functional.
- Ms Abdi denied that Dr Abdikadir had been demoted, saying he must have been served with a letter indicating change of responsibility.
Isiolo Referral Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Mohammud Abdikadir on Tuesday claimed he had been demoted by the county government for talking to the press about the facility.
On Monday, Dr Abdikadir had said the referral hospital had unreliable emergency services as only two of its nine ambulances were functional.
The medic said he was given a demotion letter signed by chief officers for medical and public health services.
The letter, he said, was neither copied to the county human resources officer nor the county public service board, a body that employs and sacks county workers.
In an interview with the Nation, he said he “was being silenced from talking about poor health services at the referral hospital”.
“It’s so unfortunate that I have been demoted for addressing the plight of patients through the media,” he said.
He claimed that he had earlier been served with a letter banning him from addressing journalists.
Last week, he told a press conference that the hospital lacked enough blood units. He described the shortage as risky since patients were dying.
PUSH FOR BETTER SERVICES
“Their agenda is to silence me from pushing for better health services to patients.
“Instead of looking for a way forward, they have replaced me with a new medical superintendent,” noted Dr Abdikadir.
The medic had earlier claimed that patients were using plain paper for record keeping since the stationery supplier had stopped delivering paper when the county failed to pay him.
However, Health Executive Asha Abdi denied the claims of faulty emergency vehicles, saying there were five functioning ambulances in the county.
Ms Abdi added that two ambulances were undergoing repairs.
Ms Abdi denied that Dr Abdikadir had been demoted, saying he must have been served with a letter indicating change of responsibility.
“I wish to clarify that any decision made by the hospital’s management was performance-oriented. It is just for the good of the people of Isiolo,” said Ms Abdi.
She said Dr Abdikadir was a medical officer before and was only given additional responsibilities to run the hospital.
According to Ms Abdi, Dr Stephen Kiluva will take over as the new Isiolo medical superintendent.
