New twist as woman who gave birth at Shalom Hospital floor defends nurses

The woman who gave birth on the floor at Shalom Community Hospital in Athi River, Machakos County now says there was no wrongdoing or negligence by the nurses or hospital management.

In a surprising turn of events, the woman, who spoke to Citizen TV on condition of anonymity on Monday, is ironically blaming the man who recorded the incident, which has so far led to the arrest of the hospital’s administrator and a nurse.

Despite the outpouring of sympathy for the woman and massive calls for action against the nurses believed to have neglected her, she says those arrested should be released and instead action be taken against the man thought to have been fighting for her rights.

“Haikukua vile mliskia huko nje… Ilikua dakika ya mwisho na hakuna kuzuia sasa nlifika hivi na hakukua otherwise. Vile nilifika hivi kwa hospitali, mtoto akatoka. So hakuna mwenye alinibeba vibaya hakuna mwenye alikua amelegea. Sasa mimi nasema mwenye ameshikwa aachiliwe. Hakuna mwenye ako na makosa. 

Loosely translated: “The case is different from what has been reported. I arrived at the hospital at the last minute while in labour. There was nothing much that could be done. There was no negligence at all. I would like those who have been arrested to be released. None of them did wrong.”

She added: “Kwanza mwenye alichukua hiyo video ndio anafaa kushtakiwa nilikua nadhani ni dakatari. Amenikosea sana… (The one who recorded the video is the one who should face legal action. I even thought he was a doctor. He has really offended me.”

Following public outrage triggered by the viral video, the hospital’s administrator, Thomas Ndolo, was arrested at the facility on Monday alongside a nurse identified as Edna Nyarangi.

A team of officials from the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board and Nurses Council, who visited the hospital on Monday, said their findings confirmed there was negligence in how the woman was treated.

“It is our findings as a team that there were issues of negligence within the institution and how the patient was treated,” said Dr. Nelly Bosire.

The administration was given 30 days notice to comply with required health standards, failure to which its license will be revoked.

“The team before you is going to conduct a clinical audit to be able to fully establish the extent of the gaps within the institution…. The hospital is strongly reprimanded for the incident, that happened. In addition, the audit will make recommendations for which the hospital will be given 30 days to comply failure to which the board will be forced to withdraw its license,” added. Dr. Bosire.

In the video, the man recording the incident is heard reprimanding the nurses for neglecting the woman.

“Why have you let the baby fall on the floor, while you are just taking tea?” poses the man in the video.

The woman and child are still receiving treatment at the Shalom Community Hospital.