Patient dies after failing to get ICU bed at KNH

Patients whose lives are at risk are being turned away from the national referral hospital due to shortage of intensive care unit (ICU) beds.

The Kenyatta National Hospital confirmed that a 68-year-old patient, Hanna Njoki, died at the facility while waiting for one of the 31 ICU beds.

"It is regrettable that the patient passed on 28th August 2018 while we were still waiting to get an ICU bed at the Kenyatta National Hospital," said acting Clinical Services Director Dr Peter Masinde.

He said the hospital had informed the family that a bed was not available and advised them to seek treatment elsewhere.

"The relatives were informed of lack of an available bed in ICU and were requested to seek for treatment in another hospital, which they declined citing lack of money to facilitate transfer of the patient to a private hospital," Dr Masinde said.

KNH is facing pressure of patients in need of intensive care because other public hospitals do not have the required facilities.

"If the other surrounding public hospital were equipped with facilities this scenario could not have occurred," Dr Masinde said.