Three die after oxygen supply cut at Coast General Hospital
The entrance to Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital in this picture taken on March 19, 2024.
At least three patients died after oxygen supply was disrupted at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital in Mombasa.
The patients who succumbed after running out of air in the Wednesday evening incident include 81-year-old father Kimanzi Mwangi, Mariam Chai and 45-year-old Tito Mutua.
The deaths sparked outrage among affected families, who are demanding accountability from hospital management.
According to Alfred Kimanzi, who had spent a cheerful afternoon with his father alongside his siblings, the family was preparing to leave at around 6pm when tragedy struck.
A sudden interruption in the hospital’s oxygen supply left patients gasping for air, including their father, who succumbed within 20 minutes.
“We watched helplessly as my father struggled to breathe. I pleaded with the nurses to call a doctor, but no one responded. It was as if they had given up on him,” Alfred recounted, his voice filled with sadness.
Kimanzi’s family is among three others who are mourning their loved ones following what they term gross negligence at the largest referral hospital in the Coast region serving Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu and Taita Taveta.
Other victims of the oxygen disruption include Mariam Chai and 45-year-old Tito Mutua, both of whom were reportedly dependent on oxygen support for survival. The affected wards were identified as Wards 5, 6, and the Children’s Ward.
John Mutua, another member of the Kimanzi family, called on the government to take swift action against those responsible.
“This is manslaughter. How could they interfere with the oxygen supply, knowing very well that patients’ lives depended on it? They should have made prior arrangements to transfer patients before cutting off the supply,” he said during an interview outside the hospital.
Kimanzi’s widow, Mbuthia Kimanzi, who was inconsolable, traveled a long distance to visit her husband and was shocked to learn that he had died before she could see him for the last time.
The grieving families claim that even after the deaths, the hospital management has remained mum, offering neither an explanation nor an apology.
“No one has come to face us or even acknowledge what happened,” said Kennedy Mwilo, a relative of Tito Mutua.
“My brother-in-law was admitted last Wednesday with chest complications. He relied on oxygen, and now he is gone. We want the national government to intervene and help us get justice.”
The victims further reported that when the oxygen supply was cut, nurses scrambled to assist patients but were overwhelmed. When the deaths occurred, they allegedly disappeared, leaving grieving families to deal with the bodies on their own.
"sacrificed everything"
“We have spent so much money trying to keep our father alive. We sacrificed everything to get him proper care, and then negligence took his life in an instant,” said Kimanzi. “This cannot go unpunished.”
Authorities from Tononoka Police Station visited the hospital to calm the distraught families. However, the hospital management has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the incident.
Efforts to reach the hospital administration for comment were unsuccessful as the Nation’s enquiries went unanswered.
However, Health executive member Dr Swabah Ahmed Omar said she was yet to receive the reports on the deaths.
"I have ordered a report from the hospital, I will comment later," said Governor Abdulswamad Nassir.
Meanwhile, the bereaved families have vowed to pursue justice for their loved ones, urging the government to ensure that those responsible face the full force of the law.
As investigations continue, the tragic deaths have once again raised concerns about the state of healthcare in public hospitals, with many questioning whether patient safety is truly a priority.