The County Government of Busia has dismissed a viral video circulating on social media that depicts students from Kolanya Boys lying on a hospital floor after a road carnage.
The students were involved in a road carnage on Tuesday night and were subsequently taken to Kocholia Hospital in Teso North, Busia, for treatment.
Due to a lack of proper emergency response infrastructure, the video showed the students were forced to lie on the cold floor while nurses tried to attend to them.
Teachers had to source medication from local pharmacies because the hospital allegedly lacked the necessary medication to treat the victims.
The video sparked outrage online, drawing attention to Busia County’s health department. In response, Deputy Governor Arthur Odera visited the hospital and acknowledged the facility's constraints in handling such emergencies.
However, he attributed the video to political motives, stating that it presented a skewed narrative by not showing the boys who were seated on benches, only those on the floor.
“That video was clearly recorded with a political motive because it didn't capture the boys that were seated on the benches, and I sympathize with the parents who saw their children on the floor,” said Deputy Governor Odera.
The DG hailed the efforts of the nurses, doctors, and clinical officers from the hospital who attended to the 30 boys and two teachers swiftly despite the emergency and ensured that they were treated and went back home promptly.
"I must say congratulations and well done to our staff who made sure the boys and their teachers were safe and went back home was highly commendable," the DG continued.
The incident has put the spotlight on the need for improved emergency response and healthcare infrastructure in the county.
Kocholia Hospital medical supervisor Dr Evans Kiplagat revealed that out of the 32 patients, nine were taken to other hospitals in the neighboring Bungoma County.
Teso North Health Officer Catherine Erone confessed that indeed the hospital faces a challenge in attending to emergency cases but has revealed efforts are underway to repair the situation.
