Police are investigating the circumstances under which a patient who went missing in a hospital ward died in the hospital compound and his remains burnt in the same premises.
The partially burnt skeleton of Gakuya, 47, has been found three months after he disappeared from the Samburu County Referral Hospital.
Gakuya was admitted into the hospital on October 15 and disappeared from his ward eight days later.
A report handed by the hospital to Health Executive, Stephen Lekupe indicated that the hospital did not know of the patient's whereabouts even though his body lay just 70 metres from the staff quarters.
"The hospital did not have any clue as to his whereabouts. But when the skeleton was discovered, we confirmed that the remains belonged to Mr Gakuya,’’ Lekupe stated.
He further speculated that the patient could have been trying to escape from the hospital. He added that at the time of his disappearance, Gakuya’s condition had deteriorated significantly.
‘’He probably wanted to escape from the hospital but could not because he was overwhelmed. The fence was thick and this may have prevented passer-by from finding him,’’ the CEC explained.
The hospital claimed that the patient became violent due to his malaria affliction which led to psychosis and therefore he could have stumbled out without knowing.
The late patient’s family however remains unconvinced by the explanation they have been given and accused the hospital of negligence. They also accuse the hospital of not giving them enough information.
His widow, Hellen Naasu said she did not understand how her husband remained missing for so long if the hospital was conducting searches for all that time.
"It has taken too long to get the hospital to divulge any information, but their explanation is still not satisfactory. This is a nightmare," he said.
She added that she did not understand how the hospital staff failed to notice a decomposing body that was only metres away from their houses.
This development comes days after the Nation aired the story of his mysterious disappearance and possible death while admitted at the Samburu County Referral Hospital.
