Bomu Hospital in Mombasa has reportedly refused to admit a cholera patient. The hospital allegedly claimed they cannot handle Simon Barno and said he should be transferred to Coast Provincial General Hospital.
Barno, an employee of Buzeki Enterprise Ltd, fell ill on Friday and was admitted at a private hospital in Maungu. The truck driver’s health continued to deteriorate and doctors suggested he be transferred to a well-equipped hospital. He was taken to Bomu on a Red Cross ambulance.
“The medics said they can’t attend to him and he should be transferred to Coast General . According to Bomu it is as if cholera cases can only be handled from specific places,” a source seeking anonymity said.
She said Barno’s workmate have been ordered to remove him from the facility. The patient is insured and clinical officers from the county are said to be assessing the situation. There is concern that Barno may not receive adequate treatment as nurses are still on strike.
Seven calls to Bomu’s two lines went unanswered. CPGH chief administrator Iqbal Khandwalla said he could not comment. Mombasa chief Health officer Khadija Shikelly was also reluctant to comment on Bomu’s actions but said all private hospitals must have isolation rooms to admit cholera patients. She said that they have intervened and the patient was being transferred Port Reitz Hospital.
“We are telling hospitals the mobility is high and an outbreak has been reported,” she said.
She said they yet to confirm if indeed Barno is suffering from cholera.
“There are sign it is cholera. We have taken samples and tests are being conducted. By tomorrow we will know the results,” the chief Health officer said.