When Benson Oketch and his wife, Christine Ouma, set off for their home in Kochia, Homa Bay County, after attending the funeral of a relative in neighbouring Migori County on Thursday evening, neither could have imagined they were embarking on their final journey together.
Their homeward trip ended in tragedy at Winyo along the Rongo-Homa Bay road, where their double-cab pick-up was involved in a devastating crash. Ms Ouma died at the scene, while her husband sustained critical injuries and later succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at Tamary Hospital in Rachuonyo North.
The couple were travelling in their private vehicle with another relative, Michele Ouma, who survived the crash.
Hezekiah Ouma, Mr Oketch’s brother, who had also attended the funeral but was travelling in a separate vehicle, said the two cars had been following each other along the Ahero-Isebania road before the tragedy struck.
“We got a puncture and had to stop to repair the flat tyre. My brother continued with the journey to Homa Bay,” Dr Ouma said.
A short while later, he received a phone call informing him that the vehicle ahead had been involved in a serious accident.
“We rushed to the scene, but by the time we arrived, the body of my sister-in-law had already been taken to the mortuary,” he said.
Witnesses told Dr Ouma that his brother’s vehicle had collided head-on with an oncoming car whose driver was attempting to overtake a lorry.
He added that moments after the initial impact, a saloon car rammed into his brother’s pick-up from behind.
Mr Oketch and the surviving passenger were rushed to Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital for specialised treatment because of the severity of their injuries.
Dr Ouma said the family later decided to transfer the injured relatives to Tamary Hospital after becoming dissatisfied with the services at Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital, where Mr Oketch eventually died.
“The doctor was not at the facility when we arrived, forcing us to seek treatment elsewhere,” Dr Ouma said.
However, the management of Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital dismissed allegations of negligence and failure to provide prompt medical care.
Dr Vincent Oduor, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, said the facility had immediately dispatched an ambulance to the accident scene after receiving a distress call.
According to the medic, emergency personnel provided prompt care to the injured upon their arrival at the hospital.
“Patients come in through the emergency department, where they are stabilised before being admitted to the ward. Emergency care was provided,” Dr Oduor said.
He added that the patients also underwent other medical procedures, including X-rays.
However, Dr Oduor acknowledged that the hospital was facing challenges in its laboratory services because of an ongoing strike, limiting its capacity to conduct certain critical investigations.
He explained that the laboratory was not operating optimally, a situation that could affect further medical assessments and treatment.
As a result, Mr Oketch had to be referred to a facility with a fully functional laboratory.
“There was a high likelihood that the patient would require surgery. We therefore opted to refer him to a facility with a functional laboratory. The family may blame the hospital because they are grieving, but we provided the necessary emergency care,” Dr Oduor said.
