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Health Secretary demands report on ambulance patient


The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board has until Saturday to hand in a report on an accident victim who waited in ambulance for 18 hours before being treated.

Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia wants details on what happened to Mr Alex Madaga.

He died last Friday at Kenyatta National Hospital after being turned away from other hospitals.

The board has already written to the hospitals, which Mr Madaga’s family said turned them away, after he was hit by a car on Waiyaki Way on October 5.

Mr Madaga, 37, was admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital the following day. He died nearly 33 hours after admission.

Nairobi Women’s Hospital has denied that it refused to treat Mr Madaga.

Group chief executive Sam Thenya said Mr Madaga was taken to the hospital at Adam’s Arcade in Nairobi, but nurses could not take him in because all intensive care beds were occupied.

He said: “We did not have an ICU bed available. At no time did we ask for a deposit as a requisite for admission.”

Mr Thenya said Mr Madaga’s case highlights the critical challenges facing the public and private hospitals when it comes to handling emergencies.

On Tuesday, Coptic Hospital, another private hospital where Mr Madaga was taken to, said “preliminary findings show that Mr Madaga is not in our medical records”.

Medical Director Samaah Sakr said: “I do not have all the facts for now because I do not have the accurate information of what happened. I am asking Mr Madaga’s family to come and help us shed some light on the matter.”

According to the widow, Ms Jessica Moraa, Coptic and Ladnan Hospital in Pangani “both asked for Sh200, 000 before Mr Madaga to be admitted.”

The hospitals have denied the claims. Ladnan chief executive Mohamed Abdi told the Nation on Monday that they too, did not have a bed in intensive care.