Health workers reject plan to close down Mama Lucy Hospital
Health workers yesterday condemned a proposal to close down the Mama Lucy hospital in Nairobi, which receives over 2000 patients a day, terming it suicidal.
Under the health caucus umbrella, the group is the latest in a growing chorus challenging last week’s Senate Health Committee suggestion to close Nairobi east region’s biggest hospital following recent reports claiming patients died in the hands of healthcare workers.
The caucus was represented by the Nairobi branches of Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), Kenya Health Professionals Association (KHPA), Nursing Council Union (NCU), and Medical Laboratory Technologists.
Tom Nyakagwa, KUCO Nairobi branch secretary general said it’s unthinkable that the Senate that’s charged with the task of protecting devolution is the one suggesting the closure of a hospital that takes care of patients, majority who are from one of the lowest social classes.
“From the records, the hospital attends to more than 2000 patients in a single day, some in the outpatient and in the in-patient departments. And they are mostly from a low economic social class,” he said at the hospital, when the healthcare registered their displeasure against the Senate. He said among the 2000 patients who visit the hospital, many leave happy after being attended to.
“However, the main reason we are here is to amplify many good outcomes in this hospital. We have many cases of patients who have fabulous testimonies of the hospital, and living health lives,” he said calling on the public to stop demonising the facility.
Mama Lucy Kibaki hospital has a bed capacity of about 150 following a recent expansion.
