Some of the overwhelmed medical interns have fled the facility leaving the hospital with only two interns.
The complaints come after the hospital was last month put on the spot over negligence after a cancer patient died due to delays in blood transfusion.
Medical interns at the Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital are up in arms over an acute shortage of doctors that has left them overworked and without rest.
Some of the overwhelmed medical interns have fled the facility leaving the hospital with only two interns.
The complaints come after the hospital was last month put on the spot over negligence after a cancer patient died due to delays in blood transfusion.
The duty doctor told the family that she was fatigued and had to go home to rest promising to initiate the process the following morning.
The hospital's medical superintendent Dr Sammy Kilonzo also admitted that the duty doctor was fatigued having worked from Friday to Sunday without rest.
No break
A medical intern who sought anonymity said he has been working for 24 hours every day of the week with no time for break.
“Since I came here, I have never slept in my house. I spend the night in the call room. I am working under one medical officer who only comes for few hours during the day. There is no time for break because the hospital is very busy,” the medical intern said.
He said attempts to raise complaints with the medical superintendent had not borne fruits as the hospital is understaffed.
“Every department including surgical has only one medical officer leaving the intern to do the donkey work.
"Two colleagues could not bear with the workload and have already left. I will have to leave this hospital once I complete my current rotation,” he said.
The hospital's CEO Timothy Panga admitted that one intern had left after he found the work overwhelming.
“Currently we have two interns whereas we are supposed to have eight. The one who left sought to be attached to another station where work is probably lighter,” said Dr Panga.
He added: “It is true work is very intense here at the moment and all of us are extending the official working hours to deal with the increased number of patients. This is due to a shortage of medics.”
Seek transfer
Dr Panga, who is barely a month old at the facility, added that an intern is allowed to seek transfer to another working station through the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board which is charged with deploying them for internship.
He said the hospital has seen an increase in the number of patients in the last few months due to increased enrollment of residents into the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
A medical intern is supposed to be attached to four sections for three months each under supervision of a consultant.
Laikipia Acting Chief Officer for health Donald Mogoi said the recruitment of more medics was underway, with 15 doctors expected to report by Monday next week.
The county has also advertised for 45 nurses, 10 clinical officers and five laboratory technicians to be hired on a three-month renewable contract.
PAYE Tax Calculator
Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
