Kenyans narrate their experiences at Nairobi Women's Hospital

The Mombasa branch of Nairobi Women's Hospital. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Steve Mwangi said via email that his experience at the Nakuru Hyrax branch was unpleasant as he had to search for a specialist to help with his son's treatment.
  • A woman who did not want to be named claimed a doctor discharged her from the Adams branch but the hospital refused to let her leave.
  • Mr Mark Kinyua said his experience was less than pleasant when he took his wife to the Nakuru branch while she was four months pregnant.
  • However, others like Mr Felister Monari had nothing but praise for the facility.

The reactions are both positive and negative, some narrating bad experiences and others describing the hospital as their best.

Mr Steve Mwangi said via email that his experience at the Nakuru Hyrax branch was unpleasant.

“My son was admitted there because of an infection. They could not find his veins to fix the drip so they had to wait for a specialist from Nairobi, who did not arrive for two days," Mr Mwangi said.

"My wife and I had to search for a specialist in Nakuru who came to the hospital. I paid over Sh60,000 for the few days I was there."

He said the kind of service was not so different from when he first visited the facility in 2015.

DISCHARGE

A woman who did not want to be named claimed a doctor discharged her from the Adams branch but the hospital refused to let her leave.

She said that when she went to clear with the accounts department, there was a deliberate attempt to slow down the process so she could stay longer at the hospital.

“I was told by the nurse that the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) system was down and that nothing much could be done," she said.

"But when we asked when the system would [work again], the gentleman at the accounts office said there was no problem with it. He said he was given my details ... to our amazement, my file had not reached [the accounts office]."

The woman said the nurse dismissed them when they made an inquiry, saying she would be released the next day.

She also tried to reach the NHIF but was allegedly forced to spend the night at the hospital because nobody was willing to process her discharge.

Many have come forward to explain how the facility and other private hospitals have authorised unnecessary admissions.

Mr Mark Kinyua said his experience was less than pleasant when he took his wife to the Nakuru branch while she was four months pregnant.

“All the tests were done. We were told the baby and the mother were safe and given some pain killers and antibiotics so we headed home,” Mr Kinyua said.

He said, however, that they returned two hours later after finding out his wife had miscarried.

“She was cleaned that night and discharged but after four days the pain continued. We decided to get a scan to establish the source of the pain. That is when we found that part of the placenta was left in the mother's body,” he said.

However, others like Mr Felister Monari had nothing but praise for the facility.

He said: "The hospital has been my best. I go to other hospitals but at the end of the day, it remains the best one. I have never experienced anything bad, only petty issues, which they always resolve," he said.