A strike by Nakuru doctors demanding to be paid their outstanding salaries for the period they were on strike has left patients to fend for themselves with some of them being transferred to various private hospitals within the county.
Hundred of families moved to the Provincial General Hospital to transfer their siblings and relatives to other hospitals after the medics downed their tools demanding their salaries.
The Level Five facility, which provides referral services to patients from various counties including Bomet, Kericho, Baringo, Samburu, Nyandarua and Laikipia, has been hard hit by the strike which started on Friday.
Some of the wards at the hospital had been closed and a number of nurses and clinical officers had been deployed to the casualty department to assist the emergency cases.
A spot check by Health Business revealed patients in dire need of attention had not been attended to and forced their families to move in and look for other health facilities.
Monica Wambui could not hold back tears as she narrated the pain her 10-year-old daughter was experiencing after failing to get treatment at the facility. ??Ms Wambui from Njoro said she had brought her daughter for operation at the hospital but they were turned away since there were no doctors on duty to attend to her.
Wilson Ruto was equally stranded when his brother who is suffering from alleged meningitis failed to find a specialist to examine his brother after he was referred to the PGH from a local hospital in Nakuru.
“My brother has not been attended to since May 5 the day he was admitted. I have to transfer him to the nearest hospital for more tests since we are not sure if he has meningitis,” Said Ruto.
According to a nurse at the hospital’s casualty department, the number of patients visiting the hospital has increased to an average of 1200 daily.
Patients with surgical cases are the most affected by the strike because there are no doctors to monitor them closely.
