The attackers that confronted a nurse at Kenyatta National Hospital on Saturday have been arrested.
The nurse who lost consciousness at the time of the attack was on duty when a relative of a 17 year old deceased boy attacked her for allegedly letting their family member die.
She is currently recuperating at the facility’s Intensive Care Unit.
KNH Chief Executive Officer Thomas Mutie said the attackers have been arrested. Nurses at the facility downed tools on Monday over the incident.
Kenyatta National Hospital has condemned the attack meted on one of its nurses by relatives of a patient who passed away on Saturday.
“On October 13, at about 10am, a nurse was assaulted by relatives to a deceased, a 17 years-old male, admitted on June 27,” Mutie said.
He said in a statement that the patient in question succumbed to illness on Saturday at 4am.
“As a routine, the next of kin listed in the patient file was contacted. The deceased’s brother arrived at around 7am, was briefed by the doctor and left.”
“At around 10am, a group of other relatives arrived in the ward and requested the nurse in charge to allow them to view the body,” he said.
He added that the lot was asked to sit at the waiting area while the nurse proceeded to make an arrangement for them to view the body.
“Moments later, staff were attracted by screams from the nursing desk. We established that one of the nurses who had been preparing medication for another patient had been assaulted by the deceased’s relatives,” Mutie said.
The CEO said that the attack left the nurse unconscious and was rushed to the Accident & Emergency Department.
She was treated and admitted to the High Dependency Unit.
“To this end, the hospital will work hand in hand with the relevant authorities to ensure that such incidences do not recur. We assure patients and staff of their safety,” Mutie said.
The management has also appealed to the public to appreciate the uncertainty of medical outcomes.
“In the event of any grievances, we encourage our customers to follow the laid down mechanisms,” said Mutie.