Police in Kirinyaga are investigating an incident where a family has claimed the disappearance of an infant from Kerugoya County hospital.
The family from Baricho village, Kirinyaga West Sub-County reported to the police after one child in a set of the twins their kin delivered went missing at the Kerugoya Referral Hospital.
The family had been told by the medics at the facility that Judy Wangechi, 35 could not deliver the twins normally and would have to do it through the caesarean procedure on Monday.
According to Faith Wanjiku, her daughter-in-law was on Tuesday morning taken to the theatre for the caesarean delivery only later to be shown one baby afterwards.
“I went to the hospital’s Maternity Ward with two pairs of new clothes for my grandchildren only to get a rude shock on being told only one of the twins was delivered,” she claimed.
Yesterday, the angry family went back to the hospital only to be told they had to go by what they were told on Tuesday.
“Since we had even been shown the X-ray taken on Wangechi indicating she had twins in her womb before her husband could give consent for the caesarean delivery, we decided to report the matter to the police,” Wanjiku said.
A worried grandmother said the police on checking on the position later came and told the family to wait for the matter to be investigated further.
When Media practitioners visited the hospital, the County Director Medical Services (CDMS), Dr. George Karoki said he could not spare any moment to comment on the matter as he was engaged in a tight meeting.
His secretary later told the press the boss would address the issue later. But on Thursday a battery of the press was camping outside his office by 8 am where all the Nurses and the County Secretary, Joe Muriuki congregated in a closed door meeting.
At about 9 am, Karoki came out and asked the Media to be a bit patient as he would address them after an hour.
But to the dismay of the media practitioners, his secretary came out at about 10.30 am and informed them that they should leave until an appropriate time when a comprehensive statement would be issued.
“I am sorry you have to leave and we will call you back once the meeting is over when the hospital’s position on the matter will be conveyed,” she said as she walked back to the office.
The mother is still at the Maternity Ward recuperating while the family is calling for thorough and independent investigations including the police and gynecologists.
The Kirinyaga Central Sub-County Deputy Police Commander (SCPC), Mahmood Badel when contacted said he was in Nairobi attending a meeting but would revert back once he had received a brief on the incident.
The hospital has been in the news since last April when it was reported to be in a filthy state after the county government sacked all its 346 casuals
Medics from the entire county went on a strike leaving health care services paralyzed. The county last month dismissed all the 700 striking medics despite a pending court case over the matter
By Irungu Mwangi
