Tana River hospital runs out of food

Ngao District Hospital in Garsen, Tana River County. Sources have told Nation that about 60 patients at the health facility has run out of food supplies. PHOTO | DANIEL NYASSY | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The hospital had to transfer about 20 cholera patients to Shirikisho Centre because the facility it had no food.

  • Tana River County Health Executive Officer Hassan Barre is said to have spent the better part of Monday holed up in a meeting over the issue.

  • Four suppliers have already been stopped from providing items to the hospital because the facility owes them several millions.

About 60 patients at Ngao District Hospital in Garsen, Tana River County are in danger of starving to death if food is not supplied to the health facility.

Since Thursday last week, the patients have been going without food after suppliers withdrew their services over unpaid bills.

Officials who spoke to Nation on condition of anonymity said the situation was so bad that the hospital had to transfer about 20 cholera patients to Shirikisho Centre because the facility had no food.

“Furthermore, we have no drugs because the last time we were supplied with medicine was June last year,” said a source.

According to our source, patients have been relying on relatives for food while others have been forced to buy from vendors outside the hospital.

The Tana River County Health Executive Officer Hassan Barre is said to have spent the better part of Monday holed up in a meeting over the issue.  Efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.

Additionally, the Medical Officer of Health in charge Dr Erastus Kahindi also declined to answer our calls but a source confirmed that suppliers had not been paid Sh1.3 million for foodstuff, Sh1.7 million for fuel and Sh1.4 million for office furniture.

Four suppliers have already been stopped from providing items to the hospital because the facility owes them several millions.

 “We have discussed the issue with Dr Kahindi, but he tells us that his hands are tied and he is also being frustrated by the county treasury,” said one of the suppliers, adding that “We have not been paid since June last year. We visited the county headquarters at Hola two weeks ago to demand payment. We were promised the money in two days’ time but nothing has happened so far.”

One of the hospital’s patients, Judith Komora, told Nation that she checked herself out of the hospital on Monday because she did not get food or treatment.