Governance row threatens to paralyse Nairobi Hospital operations
The Nairobi Hospital in this picture taken on September 14, 2024.
Patients seeking treatment at Nairobi Hospital may have to wait longer to access medical services after doctors threatened to stop treatment. If they make good their threat, this could paralyse services at the facility and force thousands of patients to seek care at other health facilities.
A section of the Kenya Hospital Association (KHA), the organisation that runs the hospital, announced that they have downed tools effective Monday as they demanded the resignation of the hospital's incumbent board of management.
In a notice dated September 16, 2024, the KHA, through the Admitting Staff Association, stated that its members would continue the fight to save the facility, even as they expressed their lack of confidence in the current management. KHA said no further admissions would be accepted once the strike begins, adding that medical care would only be offered to patients who are already admitted.
“The general public is therefore notified that there will be no new admissions in Nairobi Hospital...the doctors will only attend to patients in the wards, their private clinics and emergency cases only,” the notice said.
The association has also called for an extraordinary general meeting on September 18, 2024, and urged the public to join them in solidarity to "save the hospital from mismanagement".
“...In furtherance of our quest to save the Nairobi Hospital, all members of the Kenya Hospital Association are reminded of an extraordinary general meeting to be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Upper Hill, on September 18, 2024, at 2.30 pm."
The notice adds: "We solicit the support of all well-meaning members of the public who wish to see sustainable quality healthcare at Nairobi Hospital."
Nairobi Hospital responds
However, Nairobi Hospital responded by saying that operations at the facility were running smoothly, further complicating the situation for patients.
“We would like to assure the general public that our operations are going on smoothly. We urge our partners and stakeholders to ignore reports going around in sections of the media about the impending strike by our doctors. We are grateful for your support,” the hospital posted on its official X account.
This latest development follows a long-running dispute between KHA's requisition committee and the hospital's management over alleged corruption, nepotism, cronyism and conflict of interest, which they claim is leading the hospital to financial instability.
In response to the allegations, Dr Chris Bichage, chairman of the board of management, has maintained that they have acted properly and suggested that those tarnishing the hospital's reputation have questionable motives.
“I dare say that the allegations of corruption and poor governance being peddled are by individuals who have failed to manipulate our sound governance structures for their selfish gain and have now resorted to mounting a smear campaign against the Hospital,” said Dr Bichage.
