Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has suspended two nurses at Dandora Health Centre over negligence.
This follows media reports that a woman delivered outside the hospital for lack of a Sh 20 registration fee.
The Governor has ordered independent investigations into the matter to ascertain the allegations leveled against the nurses on duty during the alleged incident.
Sonko promised to ensure swift justice.
“I want answers before close of business today. Human life must be respected,” Sonko told Dagane.
Nairobi County Health executive Mohamed Dagane said administrative action will be taken against the nurses who were on duty.
“We have to wait for the results of the probe,” Dagane said.
The executive, together with key health officials, on Tuesday morning toured the facility to establish the facts surrounding the allegations of the woman being told to pay Sh20 as registration fee.
Dagane said the woman delivered outside the gate because of a referral lapse and that allegations of bribery cannot be substantiated until investigations are complete.
He said maternity services are free in all county facilities and that no one is supposed to pay any charges.
“No one is supposed to be subjected to inhuman delivery experiences in or outside our health facilities,” he added.
The nurses will be out of duty until the private investigations are completed.
All health practitioners working in county health facilities have also been warned against any form of negligence.
Governor Sonko has promised to terminate contracts of any health practitioner who will be found to have disregarded their professional code of conduct while on duty.
“I don’t think that they are trained to let people suffer or just deliberately be negligent. If anyone is found to have flouted their code of conduct then we have no otherwise but to terminate their contract,” Sonko said.
The Governor said maternity services have for the last two years been boosted by the major upgrades at Pumwani Maternity and Mama Lucy Hospitals.