Governor Kihika Forced To Defend Why Nakuru Referral Hospital Has People Sleeping Outside
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has responded to viral images showing individuals sleeping on benches outside Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital.
This comes after claims emerged online that they were patients unable to access beds.
In a social media post on Wednesday, July 29, Kihika said the people captured in the images were not patients but relatives who had accompanied patients admitted at the facility.
She explained that some relatives from distant areas remain at the hospital overnight after late admissions because they cannot travel back home until morning.
“These are not patients. They are relatives who bring patients late in the night. Once the patients are attended to and admitted, those from far wait for morning to be able to commute back home,” she wrote.
The governor noted that a similar incident sparked public debate last year after a video showed hospital security attempting to remove relatives who had spent the night at the facility.
“Last year, a video was trending where a guard was trying to ask such relatives to leave; it drew massive criticism on these streets, you were all up in arms, raising a storm; we let them be,” the governor added.
Kihika’s remarks came after people online questioned the state of healthcare services at the county referral facility based on the images, alleging congestion and inadequate bed space.
The images have sparked renewed concerns from residents over the condition of patients seeking medical services in the county.
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Nakuru has previously faced reports of healthcare challenges, with concerns raised over staffing levels and increasing pressure on health facilities.
Months ago, healthcare in the county came under scrutiny following reports of a doctor shortage at the referral hospital, with claims that a single doctor was attending to hundreds of patients each day.
The county has also faced concerns over congestion at other facilities, including Naivasha Sub-County Referral Hospital, where residents raised complaints over capacity challenges.
Further, the latest controversy comes weeks after Kihika appeared before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee on July 2.
The Governor defended the county government’s decision to close Nakuru War Memorial Hospital during a tense session marked by clashes with several senators, including Nakuru Senator Tabitha Keroche.
Senators expressed concern that the closure had increased pressure on existing health facilities, while Kihika defended the availability of alternative hospitals, including the referral hospital.
Governor Kihika Forced To Defend Why Nakuru Referral Hospital Has People Sleeping Outside
