Tuesday, April 6, 2021 – Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has issued a memo to all departmental heads suspending all surgeries and sending critical patients home due to lack of oxygen.
KNH is the biggest referral hospital in Kenya and it receives more than 3000 patients daily majority being referrals from other hospitals outside Nairobi.
According to the renowned medical journalist, Dr. Mercy Korir, KNH has a shortage of oxygen and will not be carrying any surgical or live-saving procedure from Wednesday.
Dr. Korir said though the government is pretending everything is okay, the country is in a deep health crisis due to a surge in Coronavirus cases and mismanagement by senior Ministry of Health officials. “Tomorrow is World Health Day, but Kenya’s biggest referral hospital @KNH_hospital is grinding to a halt due to a severe shortage of oxygen.
“Elective surgeries suspended, Patients to be discharged. Kenya is in a health crisis.
“Some counties don’t have oxygen too,” Dr. Korir wrote on her social media page. https://kenyan-post.com/2021/04/shock-as-knh-suspends-all-surgeries-for-lack-of-oxygen-as-uhuru-continues-taking-loans-from-imf-we-are-on-our-own/
A hospital of KNH’s stature should have an on-site oxygen plant and 24/7 piped oxygen. That should be standard of care. Oxygen delivered via cylinders is ideally reserved for patient transfer between various units or hospital centers.
When you see how things are run in Kenya especially public sector and even worse health care, you know that it’s only God who is waiting for Kenyans. Even counties have eaten Corona money meant for building capacity for Corona. Big shots from counties have been rushing to Aga Khan and Nrb hospitals whose death threats are getting to double digits, if you have never believed that God is the oxygen of Kenyans, know it now bcz stealing and hoarding is the order of the day. This disease is not a respector of persons and does not respect your position and pocket. Still greed won’t let leaders understand why we need to beef up the health sector. The money is eaten b4 it can do much. Show me any health CEC who isn’t rolling in dough right now.