A woman in Kisumu County was on Thursday awarded Sh2.5 million by a local hospital for violating her rights during childbirth.

Justice Joel Ngugi, presiding over the case at the Kisumu Court, ruled that the hospital nurses had caused the woman significant harm. The woman, who remains unnamed, testified that she was admitted to the public hospital past her due date expecting to receive free maternity care as mandated by government policy. Following an examination, the doctor recommended inducing labour. Due to a lack of beds, she was forced to share one with another patient.

The woman's harrowing experience further unfolded when she was compelled to give birth on the hospital floor in the hallway. She recounts being neglected by the nurses, who failed to provide a physical examination or monitor her progress after inducing labour. When she sought help, she was reportedly ignored. Court documents reveal the woman "regained consciousness to the sound of shouts, verbal abuse, and physical assault from two nurses who were upset that she had delivered her baby on the floor."

The mistreatment continued as the nurses allegedly instructed her to carry her placenta and walk to the delivery room for its removal. The woman, in a state of confusion and semi-consciousness, did not fully comprehend the extent of the abuse she endured. Phone recordings were presented as evidence in court to substantiate the woman's claims of mistreatment. In response, the hospital, while acknowledging financial constraints, denied any wrongdoing.

They claimed that the Nursing Council of Kenya had investigated the incident and cleared the nurses of all charges. In attempting to downplay the situation, the hospital further argued that the woman had signed a document acknowledging satisfactory treatment before discharge. Justice Ngugi, after meticulously examining the evidence, concluded that the hospital had indeed violated the woman's rights and deemed her compensation claim justified.