KNH Chief Executive Officer Dr Richard Lesiyampe said the available information indicated that the mother did not give birth at the hospital, contrary to the claims circulating online.
NAIROBI,Kenya Aug 30 – Kenyatta National Hospital has denied claims circulating on social media that a mother and her newborn were denied care at the facility, leading to the death of the baby.
In a statement ,the hospital said it had reviewed available patient and maternity records following the allegations but found no corresponding record to substantiate the account.
KNH Chief Executive Officer Richard Lesiyampe said the available information indicated that the mother did not give birth at the hospital, contrary to the claims circulating online.
“Following the posts, the Hospital reviewed available patient and maternity records but found no corresponding record to verify the account,” KNH said.
“Available information indicates that the mother did not give birth at KNH, contrary to the allegation. The circumstances therefore remain unverified.”
The hospital, however, extended its condolences to the affected family.
The statement comes amid growing public scrutiny of maternity services and access to emergency care in public hospitals, particularly as facilities deal with increased patient numbers.
KNH said it is currently experiencing exceptionally high demand for maternity services, partly due to industrial action in several counties.
The pressure has been compounded by ongoing renovations of maternity and other wards at the country’s national referral hospital.
According to KNH, the renovation works, being undertaken with support from its partners to modernise the facilities and improve patient experience, have temporarily reduced the number of beds available.
“To manage the increased demand, KNH has deployed additional medical personnel, strengthened triage and referral coordination, and continues to monitor bed and critical-care capacity,” the hospital said.
It said patients are assessed according to the urgency of their medical condition, with cases managed within available resources.
Patients may be stabilised, escalated to higher levels of care or referred to other facilities depending on their clinical needs and available capacity.
KNH acknowledged that documentation or communication gaps can occasionally occur, but said such shortcomings are not deliberate and should not compromise patient safety.
“As the National Referral Hospital, KNH manages a high volume of specialized and emergency cases,” the hospital said.
“While occasional documentation or communication gaps may occur, these are not deliberate and must not compromise patient safety or care.”
The hospital has now asked the family involved, the person who raised the allegations or anyone with relevant information to come forward to enable it to establish what happened.
“We invite the affected family, the individual who raised the concerns, or anyone with relevant information to contact KNH through the channels below so that the facts can be established and the matter reviewed,” the statement said.
The controversy comes as KNH continues to handle a large number of specialised and emergency cases while undertaking renovations aimed at upgrading its maternity and other wards.
The hospital said it would continue monitoring bed and critical-care capacity as it responds to the increased demand.
