KNH CEO Lily Koros sent on compulsory leave
What you need to know:
- CS Kariuki named Dr John Ong’ech and Dr Thomas Mutie to take up the positions of CEO and director of clinical services in acting capacity.
- Ms Koros had suspended four medical staff, including a surgeon who performed a head operation on a wrong patient.
Kenyatta National Hospital chief executive, her deputy and the Director of Clinical Services have been sent on compulsory leave to allow investigations into a brain surgery mix up.
Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki sent Ms Lily Koros and her deputy Bernard Githae home following public uproar.
On Thursday evening, Ms Koros suspended four medical staff, including a surgeon who performed a head operation on a wrong patient.
Speaking at the referral hospital on Friday evening, Ms Kariuki said the leave was meant to pave the way for investigations on how the error occurred.
PATIENT TAGS
“The information available so far points to a possible case of serious medical malpractice or a medical error due to non-adherence to patient safety protocols, an equally serious matter,” Ms Kariuki said.
After consultation with a source privy to the matter, the Nation can exclusively report that it is believed the error emanated from tagging of patients as names of the two, who were coincidentally unconscious at the time of admission and operation, were identical.
“That such an incident can occur at our biggest referral and teaching hospital is unacceptable, especially coming soon after other reported cases touching on patient safety,” the minister added.
AUDIT
She asked the management to table findings before the end of next week.
“I have also asked them to bring external auditors to audit patient safety, then report back with their findings. It is not going to be business as usual,” she said.
The audit, she added, must cover areas dealing with patient identification, staff communication, surgical safety and anaesthesia, hospital acquired infections, among other areas.
The CS named Dr John Ong’ech, a senior gynaecologist and obstetrician and Dr Thomas Mutie, a physician, to take up the positions of CEO and director of clinical services in acting capacity.
DISCIPLINE
While issuing the directives, the minister CS also asked Kenya Medical Practitioner’s and Dentist Board and the Nursing Council to immediately begin investigations on the health workers.
She however said interdicting the four employees, including the neurosurgeon registrar who works under the supervision of a consultant, was a “good decision”.
Asked why the consultant, who the registrar was reporting to was not punished, Ms Kariuki said:
“I came to elevate this matter to the board level and that is why you can see we have taken action. I took the necessary action I thought ought to have been taken.”
BABY THEFT
During Ms Koros’ four-year tenure at the hospital, KNH has been in the limelight for making milestones and goofs in the management of services.
In January, the Nation highlighted the plight of patients after two key machines broke down, leaving doctors with limited options for diagnosing illnesses and treating patients.
Soon after this, the hospital was accused of mistreating patients, with claims of new mothers being raped.
And before the dust could settle on the matter, a woman stole a two-week-old infant from KNH while the mother was being treated.
