Patients abandoned in private hospital go-slow

Private institutions shut in support of doctors’ strike #HealthCrisisKE

What you need to know:

  • In some hospitals, entire sections were shut down completely, while private clinics opened but did not offer medical services, leaving patients to their own devices.

  • Private doctors placed notices on their doors indicating that they would not be seeing patients for 48 hours as requested by the Kenya Medical Association on Tuesday, when it demanded the release of jailed doctors’ union officials.

Pregnant mothers and accident victims were on Wednesday among thousands of patients turned away in hospitals around the country as private facilities went on a go-slow in solidarity with government doctors on strike.

In some hospitals, entire sections were shut down completely, while private clinics opened but did not offer medical services, leaving patients to their own devices.

Private doctors placed notices on their doors indicating that they would not be seeing patients for 48 hours as requested by the Kenya Medical Association (KMA) on Tuesday, when it demanded the release of jailed doctors’ union officials.

By the time the union officials walked out of prison doors on Wednesday evening after an Appellate Court granted their request pending hearing of their appeal, normal services had resumed in major private hospitals.

Nairobi Hospital was among major facilities that had closed business in solidarity with the jailed doctors’ officials. The hospital had in the morning announced that it would offer partial services but resumed normal operations soon after the court order.

In Kisumu, the Doctors Plaza, where private doctors have been offering maternity services, was closed as health workers marched to Governor Jack Ranguma’s office. They were joined by consultants from Aga Khan, Maseno University, Avenue and Oasis hospitals.

While the maternity wing at Kisumu County Hospital was closed without indication of duration of cessation of services, Avenue Hospital, also in Kisumu, issued a statement indicating that it would close for 48 hours and that it would not admit new patients.

“We will remain open 24 hours a day during this period but will be operating with a skeletal team of doctors. Only emergency services will be provided in the outpatient department while in-patients will be taken care of,” read the statement. However, after the release of their colleagues, normal operations resumed at the hospital, but the chief executive, Dr Dennis Ogolla, said they would still not admit any patients as their wards were full.

In Nakuru, most private clinics remained closed in the morning and the KMA branch secretary, Dr Joy Mugambi, later in the day said although the officials had been released, the doctors’ strike had not been resolved, thus their go-slow would continue.

Consultant doctors in private hospitals kept off their work stations, with only resident doctors attending to patients. A spot-check by the Nation showed that most of the clinics had placed a notice on their doors advising clients that business would remain closed for the next two days.

On Monday, KMA announced that its members would go on strike starting Tuesday to compel the government to release doctors’ officials.

In the capital, the government blamed the Opposition for the protracted strike, with Spokesman Eric Kiraithe claiming that “the confrontational style that we have seen from the Opposition, which has been more intent on making short-term political points at all costs” was to blame for the impasse.

A HEARING

Mr Kiraithe’s statement came on the day opposition leaders, including Raila Odinga, joined doctors in court for a hearing of the appeal case of their union's officials, and later in a rally at the Railways Club in Nairobi.

“We urge the union officials and their membership to make sure that their cause does not become penetrated by political players who want nothing more than to exploit their idealism and goodwill,” said Mr Kiraithe.

While he acknowledged the hardships in the public health sector, he absolved the government of blame for the delay in reaching a consensus and instead apportioned the blame on the doctors and the Opposition.

Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki said it was wrong for political leaders to play with patients’ lives by politicising the doctors’ strike.

Prof Kindiki said blaming the Jubilee administration for the stalemate that has left patients suffering is cheapening a serious issue. He said the case was filed in court by governors because most of the medical personnel are under the county governments.

Report by Angela Oketch and Sarah Odhiambo in Kisumu, Magdalene Wanja in Nakuru and Dennis Odunga and Verah Okeyo in Nairobi.