Outrage After Two Patients Die at Nanyuki Referral Hospital as Staff Members Attend Birthday Party

Two senior medical laboratory officers attached to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital have been suspended for negligence following the death of two patients.

Phydelis Wachie, a Senior Medical Laboratory Officer, and Clement Wambugu, a Lab Technologist, were interdicted to pave the way for investigations into the incident.

The two are alleged to have absconded duty to attend a colleague’s birthday party at the facility, leading to the death of Halima Hassan, 58, and 24-year-old Jane Njoki, who were waiting for treatment. 

Addressing the press on Friday, Laikipia County Health CEC Rose Maitai said they have also written to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to probe any criminal liability on the two workers.

“We have carried out our investigations and it has indicated that there was a bit of laxity and rudeness to patients by two of our staff and we have interdicted them,” Maitai said.

“There was a birthday party that happened in the department, and from where we sit there’s really nothing wrong with having a birthday party, the only mistake that the staff did is to halt service delivery in the name of celebration.”

Halima was taken to the hospital with high blood pressure. Her daughter Sophia said nurses asked them to wait for five minutes to be attended to but her mother died after waiting for more than 30 minutes.

On the other hand, Njoki died from excessive bleeding after giving birth. Her husband Ibrahim Mohammed said they had gone to donate blood to save her life but his wife was not attended to until her death. 

Mohammed said they later learned operations at the facility were running slowly due to a surprise birthday party at the laboratory.