Pumwani Hospital says nurses eventually attended to woman who delivered outside their gate

A video making rounds on social media appears to show a woman delivering right outside the Pumwani Hospital gate, uncovered on the pavement in the sweltering sun.

Although the backstory on the matter remains unclear, the video shows a crowd of people who appear agitated picketing at the hospital gate.

There is little activity inside the facility which appears deserted at the time.

Several people can be heard in the video asking medical staff at the hospital to intervene amid claims that the expectant woman had been turned away by the facility.

Services in several public hospitals had been crippled by a shutdown on county governments occasioned by the revenue sharing stalemate earlier in the week.

Across the country, health care workers had downed tools, decrying delayed wages and allowances.

On Saturday, Kenyans in their droves rallied behind a #respectourmothers hashtag, calling out the hospital.

“Ng’ombe mbili zikipigana, nyasi huumia.While senate & Governors are busy fighting, women who expect services from hospitals like Pumwani are being turned away, this is not acceptable Not in 2020 Imagine when citizens have to fight to get services at a Government hospital,” Syombua A Kibue captioned the video on Twitter.

Watched disturbing video of a pregnant lady outside Pumwani MATERNITY hospital. I don’t have all the facts, but it’s painful to watch! She is a mother yet I doubt we will see helicopters and demonstrations for this mother, we may not even hear one leader speak. SAD!

— Willis Raburu (@WillisRaburu) September 19, 2020

This is so disturbing.
While the government is having inner wars , our mothers are dying because they can’t get a simple service like giving birth. We are becoming statistics in the eyes of our greedy politicians.
This is happening in 2020. Pumwani Hospital. Wajinga Nyinyi.

— KING KAKA (@RabbitTheKing) September 19, 2020

Although the hospital had not released a statement on the matter, Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris on Saturday said the incident is from a week ago , according to the hospital.

Passaris did not however say if the woman had been turned away by the facility before the incident, but explained that she was later assisted by nurses from the facility.

Pumwani Hospital informs me that the incident took place a week ago, and that nurses eventually attended to mother and baby who are currently doing fine. It's imperative that gaps in our healthcare systems are sealed, starting with grievances that lead to go-slows. @Senate_KE

— Hon. Esther M Passaris (@EstherPassaris) September 19, 2020