Concerns have been raised over the State of Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital (KTRH), with residents demanding a total overhaul of the management of the facility to improve delivery of service to the county and some of counties of Nyanza and other neighbouring counties.
While the facility is a level 5 Hospital, offering services to the residents of Kisii County and the neighbouring counties of Nyanza, there is uproar from residents and social media over the poor state of services offered at the facility.
There is concern over the state of hygiene at the Hospital which, ironically, makes the hospital a potential source of diseases. The Ambulatory Services are non-existent as most of the 13 ambulances have stalled and made it near impossible for the facility to respond to emergencies.
On Wednesday, CEO Oimeke Mariita angered residents of the county when he claimed in a radio interview that he has transformed the facility, much to the chagrin to the listeners and residents.
“We’ve apparatus we use to measure the improvement of a hospital,” he claimed, adding that mortality rate in Kisii had reduced to 8 per cent from 10 per cent when he arrived.
“This is a sign of improvement.”
He also claimed that cleanliness is also a factor which he has changed.
“It was a rotten hospital. The surrounding communities and our doctors have changed the attitude, which has changed the perception of people about the Hospital. We’ve increased numbers of people with Private insurance. People in employment come to the hospital and receive the services through the VIP wings.”
He further revealed that the Orthopedic section has been transformed so is the Theater which saw the facility conduct 5,000 surgeries in the last one year.
“Equipment is working and when there is a breakdown we repair as soon as possible.”
Reports have indicated that KTRH is a loss-making venture especially in revenue collection, a fact that has bene blamed on the previous regime.
“We don’t charge our services to make profit but to sustain the service we provide. In fact, we have increased revenue because sealed all the leakages through which revenue was lost.”
Governor Arati has been on record saying that the hospital has been collecting a revenue amounting to over Sh200M quarterly from about 47M of the previous regime, meaning that the hospital is able to generate a sum of about 800M annually.
However, the hospital expenditure remains a puzzle for residents but the hospital CEO notes, “at the start of every financial year, we prepare a budget which has projections on revenue which we use to pay bills incurred by the hospital. The monies we spend are those we generate and when we fail to meet our revenue targets.”
Mariita added: “We get additional funds from the county executive to meet our budgetary projection. In the past the hospital never met its revenue target in the past over 1 and half years we’ve not asked even a single coin from the County Revenue Fund”
The KTRH Doctors Plaza which is alleged to have been completed in the past 2 years ago is yet to be operational. The Plaza has been the talk of the town, while the former Governor had said it construction works were completed, Mariita claims that it was not, and further accuses the past regime that it’s only paperwork that the hospital was 90 per cent complete.
In the Doctors’ Plaza, the roof was leaking and it wasn’t ready for occupation. The Management of the Hospital did an assessment and discovered it needed to be fit for purpose.
“The assessment revealed that some structures and were not up to standards and it forced us back to the drawing board and this is where the conception of 100M and the contractor was awarded the contract to do the work.”
Amenity Wing, a specialized section where urgent emergency medical attention are provided on what looks like critical cases that need close monitoring, has had some long conversations much as many people have no knowledge of the facility and what it does.
Defending the Hospital, Mariita said, the important thing is that the hospital has an amenity wing.
“In every hospital like Kenyatta Hospital, amenity wing is an idea conceived by the ministry of Health to help public hospitals to render equal services across”
“Through these new services it’s only that some more rates came up because of introduction of news services which seems to be new rates but it’s not true.”
He added: “Since the inception of amenity wings in KTRH, Specialist doctors are always available in the hospital to offer services”
However, Mr Kevin Paul, rubbished Mariita’s claim that the hospital has not hiked rates. He said the facility charges a deposit of Ksh50,000 before one gets admission.
“My son was rushed there recently because of suspected dehydration. They demanded Ksh50,000 before admission I had to take him back to another hospital. What I don’t understand is how they decided to admit my boy there immediately he arrived there.’’
A sad story emanated from the hospital where it’s said a dentist doctor at KTHR, Wycliffe Gikundi Mutwri fell ill while at work and was admitted at Mediforte Hospital.
His condition worsened after two days and was referred to KTRH where the its alleged that the hospital management refused to admit him at the ICU until he deposited a sum of Ksh50,000 and an extra Ksh 10,000 daily.
Gikundi tried to use his insurance but it was not working, being a county employee he’s covered by TRIDENT INSURANCE.
Later in the day the doctor’s condition deteriorated and it was after worried colleagues piled pressure that the authorities finally agreed to admit him, unfortunately it was too late.
Computed Tomography (CT Scan)
The hospital CT Scan, reports from a sought from anonymous sources confirm that it has not been operational since March 2024, with patients forced to seek services from other facilities.
The CEO confirmed that as on 22nd, Oct 2024, that in the past one year, the machines have not been operational.
He launched investigations on the operations of the machines were commissioned but they are yet to release the report to the public.
“It’s only the ministry of health mandated to facilitate the CT scan machines and maintenance. the hospital is not allowed to interfere with any machine which is under Managed Equipment Service program (MES). We received a letter from the ministry giving us the go ahead to use and take care of the machines. We advertised the repair of the CT scan and we have awarded the tender.”
On the ICU and HDU which is an expensive service but remains a human right, Mariita claimed the hospital has an ICU with a capacity of 6 beds, 4 for Old and 2 for Children, and HDU with a capacity of 4 beds.
There have been accusations and allegations that there has been silent relationship with KTRH and private hospitals.
“When our hospital is full, we refer upwards and not the surroundings we do national referral Hospital systems we either refer to level 6 Hospital and it’s optional as we give reasons pertaining referrals.”
Oxygen Plant
KTRH Oxygen plant stopped operating in 2022 December and the hospital was forced to procure the service from elsewhere yet it used to be the sole supplier of oxygen within Kisii and other areas.
KTRH has 3 Oxygen plants at the moment, two are not functional. The Sh.22M plant is dead. The facility is managed by Managed Equipment Service (MES) which is Managed with the Ministry of Health which is not functional.
KTRH has 5 theatre rooms amd Mariita said they only have one oxygen Plant which is sustaining the hospital.
“We have 700 bed capacity and most of the time and 90-95 per cent beds are occupied for an approximation of 630 people and in ICU and HDU oxygen is needed” said Mariita.
In general wards, “At any given time, out of 630 patients 63 are on oxygen. The demand for oxygen in KTRH is absolutely high surpassing the plants we have. “Plans of adding Oxygen Plants?
Mariita stated, “For the short term, we are complimenting through buying cylinders and in the next budget we are projecting to buy another plant of 500 litres per minute “
Additionally, there has been claims meted on Mariita moving county staff out of KTRH.
He has rejected claims saying it’s only the mandate of the Health department under the supervisory of the Chief Officer who is the Chairperson of Departmental Human Resource Advisory Committee. (DHRAC). Saying he is only mandated to do internal rotations.
The hospital boss reports that “In theatre, already quarter one (July, August and September) we have managed to do 1,650 operations and if we continue with the same rate, by the end of this financial year we shall clock over 7,000 as compared to financial year, 4,202.”
The hospital has been accused of poor customer care services and poor hospitality disadvantaging the underprivileged.
KTRH is projecting to have a cardiologist to take the task of open-heart surgeries.
Without giving the timelines, Spine surgeon services have been introduced and the services are operating. Mariita, reports that neurosurgeon services and machines performing the tasks are set to kick off.
