One of four children stung by bees in Koitabai village, Bomet County on Saturday has died, allegedly due to neglect by medical teams at Longisa County Referral Hospital.
Three-year-old Ruth Chepng'eno reportedly received no attention for more than five hours at the hospital on Saturday, leading to her death that sparked public outrage across the country.
The tragedy, which was captured in an amateur video, has cast a spotlight on the operations at the hospital and raised serious questions about healthcare standards and accountability in the county.
The viral video, verified by hospital administration, shows Ruth in pain, lying in the casualty section while nurses are seen gathered around a computer, laughing and conversing.
This disturbing footage has fueled anger among community members and leaders who are now demanding answers from the facility.
According to Ruth’s aunt Joan Cherotich, the child was rushed to Longisa Hospital with three other children after they were stung by bees while playing at their home in Koitabai village.
Ms Cherotich said the children received an injection and were left unattended in beds despite their worsening conditions, including swelling faces and visible discomfort.
"We requested around 5pm to have the two children transferred to Tenwek Hospital for specialised treatment. We were only released several hours later," Ms Cherotich told Nation.africa on Sunday.
By the time the children reached Tenwek, Ruth was reportedly vomiting blood and tragically, she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Her body has since been moved to the Longisa County Hospital mortuary. The position was corroborated by the hospital administration in a statement issued on Sunday evening
"The medics at Longisa Hospital did little to relieve the pain. They assumed the impact of the bee stings would subside on its own, but the situation kept worsening with no attention from the hospital’s staff and administration," Cherotich said.
Her four-year-old son Collins Kibet, who was stung in the same incident, remains under treatment at Tenwek Hospital.
Despite the outrage, Longisa Hospital’s administration has sought to counter claims of neglect.
Bomet Health Executive Joseph Sitonik explained that the children arrived in different batches with three initially and the fourth, Ruth, over an hour later.
“It’s a very sad and unfortunate incident,” Dr Sitonik said.
He assured the public that medics attended to the children upon arrival and referred Ruth to Tenwek Hospital due to her worsening condition, with the family opting to transport the children themselves.
“The initial report suggests the children were attended to and referred to Tenwek based on recommendations from our doctors,” Dr Sitonik said, adding that CCTV footage was being reviewed to investigate the alleged neglect further.
The official confirmed that the referral to Tenwek was issued at 8.30pm Saturday and that the family transported Ruth in the early hours of Sunday.
“It was the opinion of the family that they would take the children on their own to Tenwek hospital, which was granted. At around 1:45am, the body of the child who succumbed to the injuries was admitted at the Longisa hospital mortuary for preservation.”
But confusion over costs compounded the family’s distress. Ms Cherotich said they were told at Longisa that transferring the child would require a Sh80,000 deposit at Tenwek, excluding ambulance fees, forcing them to handle the transport independently.
However, upon arrival at Tenwek, they were only asked to pay a Sh3,000 admission fee which was starkly different from the figure quoted at Longisa.
Ruth’s death has ignited nationwide condemnation of the perceived insensitivity displayed by Longisa medical teams.
Bomet Senator Hillary Sigei expressed his dismay, describing the incident as a devastating example of negligence.
"The sad news of the untimely and unwarranted passing of a young girl at Longisa Hospital is so devastating. Her death, which could have been prevented, occurred as a result of severe negligence and lackluster performance in the facility,” said the legislator.
“The tragedy serves as a painful reminder of the urgent need for accountability and improvement in the county healthcare system, ensuring that no family has to endure such a needless, avoidable loss.”
Bomet East MP Richard Yegon said independent investigations should be conducted by Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board and action taken against those found culpable.
“It is unfortunate that we have lost a young soul through a case of suspected negligence at Longisa Hospital, which has lately been on the news for the wrong reasons. We will follow up to ensure that the family gets justice,” Mr Yegon said.
