This archive report was first published on 6 August 2019.
On August 6, 2019, a KTN Investigation exposed the deplorable conditions at Mama Lucy Hospital in Nairobi, where pregnant women are subjected to inhumane treatment.
A pregnant woman's desperate cry for help echoed through the hospital's corridors as she lay on the cold floor, her blood splattered everywhere. The man accompanying her pleaded for a doctor, but it took up to 30 minutes for a nurse to arrive, by which time the woman had already given birth while lying on the floor.
The hospital's management was criticized for its poor response to the situation, with a hospital source revealing that there were only two doctors and four nurses in the labour ward, despite the large number of women in need of care.
Mothers were forced to share beds, and some were even left to writhe in pain on the floor, with no consideration given to their recent caesarean operations. The situation was described as 'traumatising' by a gynecologist, who noted that delivery is an intimate act that requires the best possible care.
The hospital's inability to employ trained doctors and nurses was also highlighted, with a source stating that Kenya trains medical professionals but is unable to employ them, while developing countries poach them.
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko visited the hospital during the investigation, but was not informed of the woman who gave birth on the floor, which had already been cleaned up.
