This archive report was first published on 19 July 2020.
On July 19, 2020, residents of Kaswanga village in Suba North constituency staged a protest against the conversion of Tom Mboya Level Four Hospital into a Covid-19 isolation centre.
Led by Joshua Ogola and Walter Pundo, the residents expressed concerns that the closure of the facility would affect the provision of healthcare services, particularly for patients with high blood pressure, HIV, and other complicated infections.
According to Pundo, the hospital serves many people with various ailments, and closing it would lead to more sufferings and deaths from other ailments.
“Closing this hospital will lead to more sufferings and deaths from other ailments. There are people who suffer from HIV but today they cannot walk into a health facility to receive ARV drugs,” said Pundo.
Residents also expressed concerns that patients would be referred to seek health services in some of the health facilities such as Sindo, Mbita, and Kirindo, which are not easily accessible.
However, Homa Bay health executive Richard Muga defended the decision, stating that they could not allow the hospital to serve as both a Covid-19 isolation centre and a treatment facility for other illnesses.
“We cannot allow the hospital to serve as an isolation facility and at the same time provide the usual health services because it can lead to widespread of the coronavirus,” said Muga.
