Nurses Neglecting Us, Claim Nyanza Patients

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Justus Ochieng

2 July 2011

Patients at the New Nyanza Provincial Hospital have appealed to the Ministry of Medical Services to intervene in what they termed as negligence by nurses. They said nurses at the hospital take long to attend to patients ignoring the seriousness of their condition. The patients claim that some people have lost their lives waiting to be attended to by the medical staff.

They said carers of those admitted at the hospital are harassed and thrown out, leaving their patients suffering. The patients have now asked Nyanza Provincial Director of Medical Services Dr Lusi Ojwang’ to intervene.

Kisumu Town East MP Shakeel Shabbir and local leaders Olago Aluoch and Hilary Alila said there is need to address the issue urgently.

Shabbir and Olago said they had not received the complaints but promised to follow up on them. “I have been pursuing a case with the Medical Services minister where by caretakers were being compelled to pay a Sh200 fee,” Olago said. He called on the hospital administration to sort out the issue as a matter of urgency. “If the complaints are genuine, then the relevant authorities at the facility ought to address them immediately,” he said.

Shabbir promised to liaise with the management to find a lasting solution to the impasse. “I will use my good office to address the matter with the management so as to improve services at the hospital,” he said.

When contacted, the facility’s medical superintendent Dr Juliana Otieno said she is not aware of the allegations made by the patients.

“Sometimes I don’t know what goes on in every department at this facility, therefore I think it is important for the patients to point out which departments were reluctant to perform their duties effectively,” she said.

Nyanza Provincial Director of Medical Services Dr Lusi Ojwang’ called on the patients to address their issues at the facility. “If patients feel that they are not being handled properly by a particular nurse, they should address the matter with the nurse in charge or at the unit in charge,” he said.

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