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Pumwani Hospital faulted in twins row


Questions over who certifies deaths featured when a Senate committee visited Pumwani Maternity Hospital on Monday.

The Health Committee, chaired by Dr Mohamed Kuti (Isiolo), observed that the hospital had been relying on nurses to confirm deaths.

The committee was on a fact finding mission following complaints from Mr Dedan Kimathi and his wife Jacinta Wanjiku, who insist their twins, born on January 6, were swapped with dead ones.

Dr Kuti was accompanied by Dr Wilfred Machage (Migori) and Ms Mvita Mshenga (nominated).

Nairobi County Health Committee members and Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary-General Seth Panyako were also present.

STILLBIRTHS

The senators took issue with the management’s position that stillbirths were never certified by any doctor as dead.

“You have no authority to certify deaths. I am a doctor myself,” Dr Machage told the nurses.

They also blamed the doctor who attended to Ms Wanjiku for failing to record proper notes that could have determined if the couple’s twins were stillbirths.

“The doctor has not certified any death in this file. As far as the doctor is concerned, the babies are still alive,” said Dr Kuti.

County Chief Medical Officer Robert Ayisi and Hospital superintendent Omondi Kumba blamed City Mortuary for the DNA tests on the two corpses that showed no relationship between the bodies and the couple.