“Upgrade Kiambu Level Five Hospital,” Waititu Says

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Kiambu level five hospital has recently been considered a death bed for infants due to the elevated number of infant deaths; it has been reported that up to 60 children died between December 2018 and January, 2019.

The situation is as a result of infants sharing incubators as reports suggest; a reflection of congestion at the neonatal intensive care unit.

With this negative reports, Governor Ferdinand Waititu has defended the hospital against claims of negligence, saying in most cases babies are referred to the top county hospital when they are on the verge of death.

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“Many pre-term babies are referred to the facility from other hospitals and even homes while others are cases of abortion. Some are brought here on motorcycles and by they time they arrive, they have already developed complications and there is little our doctors can do,” Mr Waititu said.

Reacting to reports that 60 babies died at the hospital between December 2018 and January 2019, Ms Kamau issued a press release pointing out that 35 were pre-term babies weighing less than 1.5 kilogrammes.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDB) has demanded an explanation from the hospital’s Medical Superintendent, Dr Jesse Ngugi, on the reported deaths.

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Kiambu Governor, Ferdinand Waititu

Ms Judy Mukiira, the nursing officer in charge of the newborn unit, said their facilities were overstretched since they receive referrals from other public and private facilities in Kiambu and Nairobi.

The Director for Health Services, Dr David Ndegwa, said, “We are not saying there is any justification for any child to die when they are delivered here, but because of the large number and condition of some of the mothers, we find that we are getting this problem (infant deaths),” Dr Ndegwa said.

But Woman Rep Gathoni Wa Muchomba, who toured the facility alongside her Murang’a counterpart and National Assembly Health Committee chair Sabina Chege yesterday, said the county must expand it.

Governor Waititu said the county had reached out to Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki for help from the State to expand the facility, but added that the long-term solution lay in building a new wing at the hospital to ease the congestion.

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