Embu medic accuses hospital boss of physical assault
Embu County Assembly Majority Chief Whip Lorna Maggie Kariuki addresses the press on September 1, 2018. She called for the resignation of Embu Level Five Hospital boss Dr Moses Njue on allegation that he assaulted doctor. PHOTO | CHARLES WANYORO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
A female doctor at the Embu Level Five Hospital has recorded a statement with police, claiming that she was physically assaulted by the institution’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Moses Njue.
Dr Mary Wairimu Njoroge, a consultant obstetrician/gynecologist, alleged she was slapped by the former Chief Government Pathologist on Thursday.
Dr Njoroge accused Dr Njue of using aggressive words towards her in the presence of patients and other medics.
But Dr Njue denied the allegations and said the medics were fighting him for introducing stringent measures to curb lateness and abdication of duty, which he said was prevalent.
Embu West police boss Julius Meli confirmed that Dr Njoroge had reported the matter but they were yet to interrogate Dr Njue.
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU) Upper Eastern Secretary General Mark Ndung’u said they were meeting to deliberate on the next cause of action.
“Right now the doctors are not seeing patients and are meeting to deliberate on the next cause of action. He has a habit of verbally abusing the medics but we are used to that. This time round he went overboard and assaulted her physically right in front of patients and medics,” said Dr Ndung’u on phone.
Dr Njue challenged Dr Wairimu to produce evidence showing that she was actually assaulted, accusing her of lying to the police.
“There is a new clocking in system at the hospital which records when an employee and come in and out. The doctors have vowed they will not use it. It started last week and everyone in the hospital is using it except the doctors and consultants, Dr Njue said.
He added: “The doctors have a notorious habit of coming to work late, delaying patients and my office as CEO is very unhappy with that. Every day when I go to the hospital, Yesterday at 10.30am, none of the doctors had arrived yet some patients had come at 6am. Dr Wairimu was the last to come at around 11am and I only asked her to explain,” he said.
He said he had seen the letter Dr Wairimu had written to the Embu County Secretary Johnson Nyaga and Health Chief Officer Grace Wanja urging them to take action against Dr Njue and that “the matter be handled with the seriousness it deserves”.
