Health is wealth. Governor Muriithi promised Laikipians proper medical treatment for all – but hospitals are now turning into death-traps with barely enough personnel or drugs.
Nanyuki hospital staff and families of patients say the health service has crumbled, neglected by the current regime over the last 3 years.
Now there is barely running water, let alone enough medicines, as the This Is Laikipia established. Scores of patients lie in different wards helplessly with nobody to attend to them.
Those who have money are forced to transfer their patients to other private hospitals.
Restoring NTRH
Its not easy to get inside Laikipia’s ailing health system. The government tries hard to keep cameras out.
But doctors have brought inside the neglected hospitals, concerned locals and professionals agitating for change in the healthcare system.
Determined that these locals shall see the truth and act on it.
That is how the hashtag #RestoreNTRH was born. This is the reality behind the dream of proper healthcare for all.
Now its an empty promise because of the current laikipia county regime neglect. Millions of taxes have been used in registering laikipians into NHIF cover as claims of corruption plague the exercise.
The auditor general unearthed ghost entries and fishy payments in the exercise that was conducted by the current regime. The briefcase organization (sema laikipia) that was tasked with the millions to run the mess has since disappeared and is now off the grid.
Seeing Is Believing
Once inside the hospital, you get a real insight into the broken Laikipia health care service.
Right before you, are patients writhing in pain and those with broken limbs are treated with painkillers as there wounds decay.
The delusional state is attributed to the sacking of specialists by the rogue regime.
Orthopedic surgeons, NTE surgeons, radiologist, ophthalmologist and pathologists are just but some of the specialists who were sacked before being reinstated by the labour court.
The governor claimed that they were getting more salaries than him despite the fact that he’s there boss.
Our sources have confirmed that, that his leadership style is despotic in nature hence never wants to be outshined by anyone in anyway.
Cockroaches keep the patients company and sometimes there is not enough balanced diet to feed the patients.
Fighting Against Disability
Wambui is gravely ill with a fractured leg. Her family and well-wishers have been giving her hope by spending all their energy towards her treatment.
They have managed to secure her an NHIF card which will take 3 months to mature.
Wambui needs urgent treatment which she cant have due to the hospital lacking an orthopedic surgeon.
She’s one among the many patients spread out across the facility all bearing the same story.
Every day that passes, she looses more of her ability to recover and walk again.
The Nanyuki hospital can’t give the sick more than a bed.
Under governor Ndiritu ,this is the picture of health.
No Medicine
Inside the internal medicine department, patients are asked to go and buy drugs outside in small clinics or pharmacies.
Kimani, a 21 year old lies in his bed with a broken limb from a boda boda accident.
In the bed next door, is 38 year old Joshua, another accident victim and much loved only breadwinner for his young family.
His wife, Wanjiru has just been told that he needs a surgery that she must pay for.
It would take her nearly two years to earn the money if she had a job.
Frustrated Doctors & Nurses
The dedicated doctors and personnel, like Carlos (not his real name) show anguish, frustration and anger at the regime led by governor Ndiritu.
I blame governor Ndiritu. We doctors have to tell the truth. We have to do our best to save our patients but nowadays we can’t. We feel blocked because of the current regime.
Dr. Carlos
We asked the doctors whether there is a risk for what they have been telling us about the poor state of health in Nanyuki hospital.
Anyone can be afraid. But I prefer to live in a free county rather than live in oppression and let my patients have nothing.
Dr. Mendel
Just outside the gate hoards of coffins are on sale.
A reminder that the health service has discarded the lives of patients entering the facility; coming out alive is a miracle.
Those who are not lucky enough to see another day, are not spared either.
Bodies of dead patients have mysteriously vanished from the only Morgue serving the public hospitals in Nanyuki- Laikipia.
A recent case happened to a family that had their grandmother’s body disappear under unclear circumstances, never to be seen again!