This archive report was first published on 3 August 2020.
Covid-19: Death of Homa Bay Nurse Raises Questions, Exposes Shortfalls ¶
On July 20, 2020, Marianne Awuor, a 32-year-old theatre nurse from Rachuonyo, was found infected with the coronavirus at 33 weeks of pregnancy. She gave birth normally and was later admitted to Kisii County Teaching and Referral Hospital due to a lack of specialists in her home county.
Awuor's condition worsened last Friday, and her family claimed that medics at the hospital neglected her, leaving her unattended in an abandoned ward. Her husband, Stephen Okal Oketch, alleged that doctors and nurses at the hospital were on a go-slow due to unpaid salaries.
However, Kisii County Public Health Director Richard Onkware attributed Awuor's death to one of her lungs collapsing due to the virus. The Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) has asked the county to provide nurses with enough personal protective equipment (PPEs) to minimize their chances of getting infected.
Awuor's death has sparked outrage, with her family and colleagues calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. The incident has also highlighted the need for improved healthcare infrastructure and staffing in county hospitals.
Awuor was born on July 24, the same date as that of her first-born child's birth. She had been a theatre nurse for almost a year and had worked in different departments since 2014. Her boss, Dr. Stephen Okello, described her as a passionate and dedicated nurse who loved her job.
