Eric Juma @PeopleDailyKe
In another possible case of negligence, a Kisumu patient died after a delay in raising a Sh6,000 hospital transfer fee. According to relatives, Roseline Opondo, who had been referred to Kisumu Hospital from a local clinic, succumbed after waiting three hours in an ambulance for the money to be wired to the driver.
The deceased’s cousin, Charles Budo, said by the time the money was sent, the condition of the patient had deteriorated to a point of vomiting blood which got worse after the driver diverted to pick another patient. “Instead of rushing the patient to Kisumu, the driver diverted his route towards Tingare in Ugenya where he was going to pick a woman in labour.
It pains so much when you lose your cousin despite paying the required Sh6,000 for the transfer services,” he said. And in what could be construed as insensitivity, the father of the deceased, Joseph Owundo, demanded a refund of the money in full or they would “paralyse operations” at the morgue when they go for the body.
“We want the money back, as well as a transfer of this particular driver because he extorts money ranging from Sh2,000 to Sh6,000 from patients seeking emergency ambulance services,” he said.
However, Ambira and Ukwala ambulance co-ordinator Nereah Ochieng exonerated the ambulance driver, Benson Owang’, from the blame, saying they could have not transferred the patient of a private hospital to Kisumu without getting money for the fuel. “The Sh6,000 sent to the driver was for the fuel and not the services of the ambulance.
We only requested for it to fuel the vehicle and later forward receipts to management of the transferring clinic, Matibabu, just as we have been doing in the past,” said Nerea. She says she authorised the driver to pick up the other patient who was in labour after assurances by the nurse at Matibabu that Opondo was stable.
“I directed Owang’ to pick the woman in labour at Tingare to be dropped off at Siaya Referral Hospital before transferring the other patient to Kisumu,” said Ochieng’. She added that they don’t charge for maternity services but other types of referral patients help in footing the fuel bills.
The driver of the ambulance, however, says the bad road was partly to blame as he got stuck in Tingare picking the expectant woman. “We would have gotten to Kisumu hospital on time for the patient’s life to probably get saved had it not for the time we spent stuck in mud in Tingare,” he said.
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