Residents storm hospital for sending away woman in labour

Normal operations at Cheptalal Sub County Hospital in Bomet on Tuesday came to a halt after villagers stormed for sending away a woman in labour.

The residents complained that the hospital’s night guard on duty sent away the expectant mother claiming the nurse on duty was busy with other patients.

Jackline Chemutai was on Monday evening rushed to the hospital while in labour but gave birth to her child a few kilometers from the hospital with the help of a taxi driver and a relative who had accompanied her after she was turned away from the facility.

According to Mercy Towet, a resident, Chemutai came to the hospital three times without being admitted.

Towet says the first time she (Jackline) went to the hospital, she was prescribed medicine for the pain, and upon coming back the second time, they were told the doctor was not available at that moment.

The third time she visited the facility she was sent away and delivered by the roadside.

The residents complained that the hospital also lacks medicine and has no doctors to attend to patients at night. The added that sometimes expectant mothers bring their own midwives to attend to them incase the nurse is not in.

Benard Lang’at, a pedestrian, got curious after seeing a Probox parked aside of the road only to find out a mother in pain. A crowd of villagers quickly formed at the scene and forcefully took the mother of six and her newborn back to Cheptalal Hospital.

The head of the nursing department at the hospital, Benard Cheruiyot, apologized for how the new mother was treated and promised to hold everyone on duty accountable for the incident.

Written by Ann Mukuru