Death and agony as strike halts treatment at Mombasa hospital
What you need to know:
- In a meeting with Governor Hassan Joho on Wednesday, doctors said the interns were a danger to patients because they were working without supervision.
- A nurse, who did not want to be named, said nine people had died since the strike started on Sunday.
Striking doctors at the Coast General Hospital have refused to resume work until all their grievances, including payment of their July salaries, are met.
Patients and their relatives broke down in tears after failing to get treatment.
In another tragedy baby Islam Saidi died Wednesday after surgery at the hospital to open his anal passage. Doctors said he died of cardiac arrest. He died the Intensive Care Unit at 3am.
Wednesday, patients and relatives were turned away by guards because there was no one to serve them.
More than 20 patients were queuing outside the emergency ward while others lay on the floor.
NINE DEAD
A nurse, who did not want to be named, said nine people had died since the strike started on Sunday.
The few doctors at the hospital were not working, with administrator Benjamin Mwero saying he was trying to convince his colleagues to resume duty.
The doctors later met Dr Mwero to discuss a return-to-work formula. “They have promised me that they will resume work by the end of the day (Wednesday) but they wanted to see me before doing so,” Dr Mwero told journalists at the hospital at 12 pm.
In the meantime, he said, they had put in place emergency measures include using trainee doctors. The use of the interns appears to have infuriated the doctors.
A senior doctor explained that his colleagues would not return to work.
“They are adamant because the county government has recalled interns and is paying them Sh5,000 a day yet doctors have not been paid,’’ said the doctor who declined to be identified.
INTERNS POSE DANGER
County Heath Executive Binti Omar said the hospital had 21 intern doctors.
In a meeting with Governor Hassan Joho on Wednesday, doctors said the interns were a danger to patients because they were working without supervision.
Some angry patients and their relatives stormed out of the emergency ward bench.
“I came here at 6 am with my sister who is in a critical condition and she has not received any help,’’ said Faiza Abdhulaziz.
Next to him, a man who had brought in his wife and son broke down and wept when he failed to get help.
The patients urged the national government to help end the strike.
On Tuesday, Dr Abidan Mwachi, the deputy secretary general of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union had announced that the strike was over after the county bosses promised to pay their salaries by Friday.
