KNH: Grieving Mother Interrupts CS Duale, Informs Him Infant Died from Doctors' Negligence
- A grieving Nairobi mother disrupted Health CS Aden Duale’s KNH press briefing with a tragic claim
- She accused doctors at the facility of ignoring her pleas as her child’s condition deteriorated before she died
- Duale responded with regret and directed a formal investigation into the matter and the reported presented before him
Education is Your Right! Don’t Let Social Norms Hold You Back. Learn Online with TUKO. Enroll Now!
TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
A press briefing by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale took an emotional turn at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Source: UGC
This was after a grieving mother publicly accused doctors at the referral facility of negligence that allegedly led to her child’s death.
The woman, identified as Susan Wanjira, said her one-year-and-five-month-old daughter, Gyann Wangare, had previously undergone abdominal surgery at the hospital.
The child was recovering at home when her health deteriorated, prompting Wanjira to rush her back to KNH for emergency care.
“She fell sick on a Friday night and I gave her the medication she had been prescribed earlier. I brought her here on Saturday, July 19, because she showed signs of diarrhoea and vomiting, although nothing was actually coming out,” she recounted tearfully.
How did the child die at KNH?
Wanjira said that after being admitted to the ward, her daughter’s condition worsened significantly overnight. Despite repeated calls for help, no doctor came to assess the child.
“I kept asking the nurses to come and check on her, but they only said she would be fine. From 2 am to 6 am, not a single doctor came. She died in my arms,” she painfully narrated.
Since that day, Wanjira has reportedly made several visits to the hospital seeking answers, but none came, until Monday, July 28, when fate placed her in front of the CS during a media address.
Source: Getty Images
How did Duale respond to negligence claims at KNH?
Duale, who had been announcing new hospital security protocols, paused his briefing to listen. Visibly moved, he expressed his sorrow and directed immediate action.
“I’m very sorry about it. No Kenyan should have to go through that,” Duale said, instructing the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) to begin an urgent investigation.
He ordered officials present to ensure Wanjira’s complaint was filed without delay.
“Make sure she goes to KMPDC tomorrow morning and that her case is looked into. I must get that file,” Duale added firmly.
The Cabinet secretary assured the mother that justice would be served, promising that her complaint would not be ignored.
Pregnant woman dies in Kisii hospital over alleged negligence
In a related incident previously reported by TUKO.co.ke, a 27-year-old pregnant woman named Phanice Ratemo died at Magena Dispensary in Kisii county under troubling circumstances.
She had been admitted late at night while experiencing labour pains but reportedly received no medical attention for hours.
Despite her repeated pleas for help, healthcare workers allegedly dismissed her concerns, stating her time had not come.
She remained unattended throughout the night and into the following day. Eventually, both she and her unborn baby died due to the lack of timely intervention.
Shockingly, medical personnel at the facility reportedly fled after discovering her death, leaving the body behind.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
