The County Government of Kiambu led by Kimani Wamatangi on Sunday, April 9, explained that Kihara level 4 hospital in Kiambu was experiencing a major power outage following ongoing heavy rains.
In a statement, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in charge of health Dr Elius Maina, stated that the rain had interfered with the main Kenya Power underground power line cables at the hospital.
Further, the statement added that a team from Kenya Power had been deployed and was carrying out excavation works to correct the problem issuing a deadline of three days.
In addition, Dr Maina noted that there would be no interruption in the issuance of medical services.
“The County Government would like to state that there is a backup generator at the hospital that is working 24 hours to ensure patients are getting the best possible service around the clock without interruption.
“We anticipate that the problem will be rectified in three days,” the statement read in part.
The County refuted claims that there were no drugs at the facility stating that it was fully stocked with drugs and non-pharmaceutical supplies.
“The facility is also fully stocked with drugs and non-pharmaceutical supplies to ensure efficient service delivery,” added the statement.
The statement by the County Government followed an uproar by the residents on April 8, over the lack of essential drugs and lack of vital facilities at the hospital deterring them from receiving medical care.
Residents of Kiambu held protests on Saturday, April 8, decrying the deplorable state of the facility.
There were reports of contaminated blood and litter all over the place, further putting the lives of patients and health workers at risk.
"There are no condoms at the facility and there is one doctor attending to children. You have to wait for the doctor to go through three wards to be able to attend to you," one of the residents stated.
"There is no water, the is no electricity and the place is not clean. Even the mortuary has a foul smell and when we take our loved ones there they are not cleaned properly," another resident added.
Additionally, the staff at the hospital were reported to have not received 5 months' worth of salary
