Eldoret, Kenya — Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) is under scrutiny after a disturbing incident where a male patient allegedly committed suicide within a secure ward specifically dedicated to high-risk individuals. Hospital officials discovered the patient’s body suspended from a window grill in the isolation ward using his uniform, an event that swiftly prompted a critical review by the hospital’s board.
Prior to this tragedy, which occurred on a Saturday, staff noted that the deceased exhibited violent behavior towards other patients, leading to his confinement in a solitary secure room. The facility’s chief executive, Dr. Phillip Kirwa, confirmed the incident, noting that it was commonplace to isolate violent patients to prevent harm to others. The incident was reported to local authorities at the Naiberi police station.
According to the police report, the patient in question was admitted to MTRH on January 14, diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Following the discovery, the body was transferred to MTRH’s morgue where an autopsy was expected to be conducted to determine the exact cause and circumstances of death.
The family of the deceased voiced their grief and confusion, awaiting detailed explanations from the ongoing investigation. They expressed a fervent hope that the police investigation would shed light on the circumstances leading to their relative’s death, ensuring clarity and closure surrounding the tragic event.
Parallel to this case, MTRH has been under an investigative lens due to a separate and equally troubling incident. Another patient, Albert Chesang, who was undergoing cancer treatment, mysteriously disappeared from the hospital premises. His body was later found gruesomely mauled by dogs, lying near the Sosiani River, only a short distance from the hospital.
These unsettling occurrences at MTRH arise amid wider concerns over patient safety in regional hospitals, which includes an ongoing probe at Kenyatta National Hospital following the violent death of Gilbert Kinyua. Kinyua, a 39-year-old male suffering from a cerebral disorder, was found lifelessly lying in his bed with his throat cut.
Patients at Kenyatta National Hospital disclosed to police that an intruder had accessed their ward and fatally attacked Kinyua during the night, sparking a wave of concerns about the security measures in place at these critical healthcare institutions.
In response, police have escalated their investigation strategies, including interviewing several hospital staff and reviewing surveillance footage, to unearth any underlying security breaches that could facilitate such dire incidents.
With such sequences of grim events casting a shadow over patient safety, healthcare administrators across Kenya’s major hospitals may face imperative demands from the public and authorities alike to immediately enhance security protocols and ensure a safe environment conducive to healing and rehabilitation of the ailing.