Voi hospital negligence : Family Mourns Death of Agnes Mutuku Left Unattended in Ambulance at Moi County Referral Hospital

A family in Taita Taveta County is in mourning following the death of their relative who was left unattended in an ambulance at Moi County Referral Hospital in Voi on Wednesday. The patient, Agnes Mutuku, 35, had been referred to the facility from Taveta Sub County Hospital for specialized treatment. However, upon arrival, the medics at the casualty department claimed they had not received the necessary information about the patient’s transfer, leaving her waiting for almost an hour.

According to the deceased’s niece, Maria Wakesho, they had been told that Agnes needed urgent attention at a bigger hospital for her gynecological issues. They left for Moi County Referral Hospital in an ambulance but were shocked to find that their patient could not be admitted. They were instructed to wait in the ambulance until the hospital made arrangements for an emergency team to receive her. However, no help came, and Agnes’ condition worsened. She eventually died.

The family is now blaming the hospital for their negligence, questioning how they could let someone die in such a manner. Agnes was the sole breadwinner for her family, leaving behind three children aged between 15 and seven, who depended on her for their education and livelihood.

In response, the County Executive for Health, Gifton Mkaya, expressed regret over the incident and assured the family that an investigation would be conducted. He acknowledged the delay and attributed it to a failure in adhering to the national referral policy. The hospital has CCTV footage showing that the patient arrived at 3:26 pm, but she was left in the ambulance for about 58 minutes.

Mr. Mkaya stated that the responsible officers would face disciplinary action for not performing their duties properly. He also announced the formation of a task force to audit the hospital’s operations and recommend improvements to address cases of negligence and poor service delivery.

This incident comes just two months after another family alleged that their child died due to lack of treatment at the same hospital. To address these issues, the county government is working on strategies to improve service delivery and provide quality and affordable healthcare to residents. They are also upgrading and equipping other health facilities in the region to reduce the burden on the referral hospital.