A mother was forced to carry her dead baby for six hours at Mama Lucy Kibaki hospital while waiting for a mortuary attendant who was reportedly "stuck in a traffic jam".
Prior to the baby's death, the woman and her husband had to watch 11-month-old Dominic Wayne Otieno die because there was no ambulance to take them to Kenyatta National Hospital, just 15 kilometers away.
The boy had been diagnosed with complicated meningitis and the doctor had referred the case to Kenyatta National Hospital for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) care. The referral was made around 10am, according to the boy’s father.
Circumstances Surrounding the Baby's Death ¶
The couple waited for the ambulance for five hours before their baby eventually succumbed while in the children’s ward where he was being treated with oxygen support, intravenous antibiotics, and intravenous fluids.
Staff at the hospital explained that the sole ambulance at the facility had taken another patient to Kenyatta hospital.
After the baby’s death, the couple had to wait for an additional six hours to get access to the mortuary at the hospital. The explanation for the delay was that the mortuary attendant was "stuck in traffic".
Response to Allegations of Negligence ¶
On Thursday, Nairobi county executive committee member in charge of health Bernard Muia denied claims that the death of the baby was caused by negligence of the hospital’s staff.
Mr Muia also claimed that the baby had been treated at a private hospital in Komarock before being referred to the hospital in a critical condition.
The recovered account cited reporting by Nairobi News.
