The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has directed nurses to stay away from the Mbagathi Hospital maternity block as their safety is not currently guaranteed.
Following a Wednesday night fire at the hospital, KNUN Secretary-General Seth Panyako noted in a statement that the building had previously been condemned by Nairobi County engineers.
“In accordance with the Occupation Safety and Health Act, we ask our members and all health workers to vacate the building with immediate effect,” he wrote.
It is suspected that the fire was caused by a power blackout after one of the main switches blew up engulfing the entire hospital in darkness.
The building was declared structurally unfit after complaints from hospital staff on its condition.
[caption caption="The main switch at Mbagathi Hospital"]
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Panyako hit out at Nairobi CEC member for health Hitan Majevda for failing to act on the recommendations of city engineers.
He disclosed that they had raised concerns in 2014 on the state of the building and asked the county to renovate it but no action was taken.
Panyako further claimed that the electical fault that led to the fire was caused by cracks in the walls of the building.
16 babies were in the incubators at the time of the fire but all of them escaped unhurt.
They were promptly moved to the Kenyatta National Hospital.
[caption caption="A nurse escorts a patient out of Mbagathi Hospital following the fire"]
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