Health workers have bad attitudes, say governors
Expectant mothers ponder their next move after they were turned down at the Coast General Hospital maternity wing in this photo taken on April 15, 2015. Two patients died in different hospitals in Mombasa County during the nurses' strike. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
According to Kitui Governor Julius Malombe, some health workers “do not handle our people with respect and speak to them harshly”.
The Kitui County boss said the disabled face a lot of challenges in hospitals.
Public health workers accused of ignoring mentally ill patients.
Patients accessing services in county hospitals get a raw deal because health workers have a bad attitude, the Council of Governors has said.
According to Kitui Governor Julius Malombe, some health workers “do not handle our people with respect and speak to them harshly”.
He said as a result of that, many patients are given treatment without knowing what they are suffering from.
“The patients are in hospital because they have needs and they must be respected,” said Dr Malombe.
He was supported by his Kisumu counterpart, Mr Jack Ranguma.
“This issue must be addressed. Health workers should be guided by the law,” said Mr Ranguma.
The Kitui County boss said the disabled face a lot of challenges in hospitals.
“They should not be in the same queue with the able-bodied. Hospitals should have a special area for this group,” he added.
“If people cannot talk because of an impairment, there is need for sign language speakers in health centres.”
The governors spoke in Nairobi on Friday during the launch of two documents on county health service.
According to one document, Integrating Constitutional Values and Principals in County Health Facilities, the disabled reported that health workers embarrassed them and mentally ill patients were often ignored or treated as minors who could not make independent decisions.
