The government has ordered all national referral hospitals to submit detailed security and operational audit reports within seven days.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale issued the directive on Monday July 21, following a high-level meeting with the CEOs of major public hospitals. The meeting focused heavily on security issues in the wake of a harrowing murder at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) on Thursday, July 17.
In the latest hospital homicide, a 52-year-old male patient was found dead in Ward Seven, with witnesses claiming the deceased was disabled when he met his end. The main suspect fled the scene, but has since been apprehended and is in police custody.
During the meeting, Duale warned hospital CEOs that they bore a huge responsibility to ensure the safety of staff and patients within their respective facilities.
The CS also asked hospital heads to explain the current security and management issues in their hospitals, detail the steps they have already taken to address these issues, and highlight any urgent actions that still need to be taken.
As part of broader efforts to restore public confidence in the country's healthcare system, Duale proposed a number of reforms, including stronger staff discipline enforcement and an improved workplace culture.
Hospitals have also been directed to develop crisis communication mechanisms to ensure timely responses in emergency situations.
Interior Ministry Collaboration
Duale also announced an upcoming inter-agency collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Interior Ministry. The CS believes this close collaboration will enhance rapid response capabilities to prevent breaches such as the one witnessed at one of the biggest referral hospitals in the country.
KNH has arguably been the hardest hit with security breaches, with the July 17 incident coming months after another patient was found murdered inside the hospital after being fatally stabbed by an unknown individual on the night of Thursday, February 6.
Initial reports blamed the incident on a security lapse, claiming that an unidentified individual entered Ward Seven and fatally stabbed the patient with a kitchen knife.
Besides the murders, questions were also raised on the safety of hospital staff as earlier in July after goons invaded the Kitengela Hospital during the Saba Saba demonstrations.
The goons disrupted medical procedures at the facility, including a caesarean section in an incident that sparked nationwide condemnation, with the Interior CS Murkomen claiming a Ksh50,000 bail was too lenient on the culprits.
