Patients throng health facilities as ‘Mwezi wa Baba’ takes effect in Mombasa

The CGTRH / BRIAN OTIENOActing CGTRH CEO Mohamed Hanif in his office on Monday / BRIAN OTIENONewly contracted staff at the CGTRH’s human resource officer on Monday / BRIAN OTIENONewly contracted staff at the CGTRH’s human resource officer on Monday / BRIAN OTIENO

When Kevin Chome Kabindo arrived at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital at 7pm on October 8, he expected a quick visit to have the cast on his fractured left leg, worn for 18 weeks, removed.

Instead, he found a hospital packed with patients seeking treatment under Mwezi wa Baba, a county initiative offering free healthcare throughout October in honour of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

“I thought that at night, as usual, there would be not many patients as opposed to daytime. But shock on me! I got confused when I got there. I thought there was a rally or something had happened,” Chome told the Star.

Unaware of the initiative, he had carried Sh2,000 to pay for treatment. He waited until about 9pm to see a doctor and left around 11pm with free medication.

“I had never seen so many people at the Coast General like that day. I almost gave up but decided to stay on,” he said.

Chome is among thousands of residents taking advantage of the programme, which began on October 1 and has sharply increased demand for services at county hospitals.

Acting Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital chief executive Mohamed Hanif said outpatient numbers had quadrupled since the initiative began.

By Friday, the hospital had attended to more than 7,500 outpatients and discharged more than 750 inpatients without charging them, he said.

For Gideon Harre, a boda boda rider injured when his motorcycle collided with a tuk tuk after its brakes failed, the initiative offered relief as he recovered from injuries to his right leg and knee.

“I am glad I have been treated free of charge. Although there was a long queue, because of the free services, I am glad I have already been treated and only waiting for my drugs so I can go home and rest,” he said.

The surge in patients has prompted the county to recruit 447 additional healthcare workers on three-month contracts, including 116 deployed to Coast General.

The recruits include doctors, nurses, clinical officers, laboratory personnel, pharmaceutical technologists, records officers and support staff.

Hanif said the additional workforce had enabled the hospital to increase consultation rooms and respond better to demand.

He added that the facility had secured adequate medicines, medical supplies and laboratory reagents, while its radiology department was operating round the clock.

The county is also registering eligible patients with the Social Health Authority (SHA) and paying premiums for those unable to afford them.

For some recruits, the initiative has brought employment relief alongside expanded access to care.

Umuru Kibwana, a former casual worker at Bamburi Dispensary and community health promoter from Kadzandani ward, said he had been out of work for nearly five months before securing a new contract.

“I am thankful for this opportunity because it will help me and my family get on with life,” he said, adding that he hoped his performance would lead to an extension.

Another recruit, identified as John Doe at his request, said the additional staff would help the health sector respond to increased demand.

For Peter Tsofa Mwango, the programme arrived as he struggled to raise Sh100,000 for surgery to treat a serious stomach condition.

“I was losing hope. It is God who saved me. The Mwezi wa Baba coincided with my bill. I did not pay a shilling,” he said.

Tsofa urged Governor Abdulswamad Nassir to extend the initiative beyond October, arguing that residents would continue to need affordable treatment.

Nassir said the programme demonstrated that universal healthcare was achievable through shared responsibility and participation in SHA.

The governor, who chairs the Council of Governors Health Committee, also said national and county governments had agreed to share the cost of community health promoters equally.

The national government had paid its share for the first six months, he said, while some counties had yet to meet their obligations for the remaining period.

For patients such as Tsofa, the immediate relief is clear. Whether the gains can be sustained beyond the month-long initiative remains a central question for the county’s healthcare system.

Mombasa’s Mwezi wa Baba initiative has exposed both the demand for affordable healthcare and the pressure free treatment places on public hospitals. Thousands of patients have sought care, prompting the county to recruit additional staff and expand consultation capacity. While patients are benefiting from treatment without paying at the point of service, the bigger test will be whether the county can sustain these gains beyond October and ensure access to healthcare does not depend on temporary initiatives.