The Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ), also known as the Ombudsman, has issued a seven-day notice to the Coast General Hospital demanding answers over an alleged oxygen blunder that led to the passing away of three patients.
Through a statement released on Thursday, April 10, CAJ issued the notice while seeking answers from the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer regarding the circumstances in which the incident occurred.
“The Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman) has issued a seven-day notice to the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital to explain the circumstances under which three patients allegedly died at the facility following oxygen supply disruption,” CAJ stated.
The hospital attracted attention after a scheduled maintenance to its oxygen plant resulted in the three patients losing their lives after the system was switched off.
This was further compounded by allegations of refusal of emergency medical care, with nurses at the hospital accused of merely running around without assisting the patients at the time of the incident.
As per the Ombudsman, the alleged incident represented a violation of the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act concerning professional standards and ethical duties.
“Circumstances surrounding the tragic event strongly suggest a potential failure to adhere to Sections 4 and 5 of the Health Act and a violation of Article 43 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to health, including the right to healthcare services,” the CAJ observed.
CAJ pressed the hospital’s CEO to reveal a schedule of all planned maintenance activities for the hospital’s oxygen plant for the period leading up to and including the date of the alleged disruption.
The government body also sought to know the specific procedures followed in planning and executing the scheduled maintenance of the oxygen plant, further seeking to discover the risk assessments conducted before the exercise.
The hospital’s CEO was also tasked with providing information on treatment protocols, policies, and enforcement mechanisms. CAJ specifically sought to know the hospital’s policies and protocols regarding the maintenance and backup of critical medical equipment, including oxygen supply systems.
Also, the Commission solicited the hospital’s policy on internal incident reporting and investigation procedures initiated following the alleged oxygen supply disruption and the reported deaths, including specific attention to the actions and responses of all medical personnel on duty and the maintenance staff.
It also directed the hospital to provide an action plan detailing disciplinary action to be meted out against culpable staff, steps to be taken to prevent similar incidents, and measures put in place to ensure adequate backup systems for critical medical supplies and equipment.
The aftermath of the incident resulted in Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sherrif Nassir ordering a probe into the incident.
