Governor Mike Sonko of Kenya paid a surprise visit to a maternity hospital, Pumwani Hospital in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Monday. The visit was prompted by allegations of negligence; the death of babies was being attributed to machine shutdowns by hospital authorities. The hospital denies such claims and maintains its innocence in the matter. Governor Sonko found the corpses of 12 babies wrapped in polythene bags, in boxes which were stored in the facilities’ storage rooms.
“I want to categorically state that human life must be respected no matter the case. Stern action will be taken against anyone found to be sabotaging the good services offered to our mothers and sisters who come to deliver in this facility,” Sonko said.
The entire visit was filmed and shared online. According to Kenya’s Daily Nation local newspaper; the hospital had claimed only one baby had died in the past 24hrs. In the video, the Governor asks how many children had died that day, to which a hospital employee answered only one since Friday which has become questionable after the discovery of the bodies.
It is still unclear what happened to the babies or to their mothers but the situation is being treated with suspicion.
“This is a police matter. You can’t lose 12 babies in a day,” Governor Sonko said.
Pumwani Hospital is now under heavy scrutiny as concerns of baby theft babies, negligence, poor services and maltreatment of women in labour among other issues have been voiced.
Governor Sonko has suspended numerous top hospital officials along with the superintendent, the administrator and the ob-gyn physician on duty. Kenyan officials are calling for changes following the incident.
“The situation unearthed at Pumwani is saddening, heartbreaking and undeserving to any family,” Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja tweeted.
The public of Kenya is also calling for an investigation into the matter with tweets such as:
Thanks Gov. for exposing this rot. I suggest you deepen it. We have cartels that sell softer tissues of dead born babies. The evil merchants are tied to maternities & abortion clinics. It’s Horror !— End_Taxation_Without_Representation (@bodipoh)
Shame you mean Pumwani Maternity Hospital does not have a person in charge? If he/she is there fire him immediately and take him to Kamiti prison. — Wilfred Obonyo (@willyandago)
In addition to outrage, many Kenyans have added their own spice to a pool of conspiracies that include witchcraft, trafficking and
“These people must be selling these bodies for body parts to witch doctors or certain individuals.” said one YouTuber,
“they normally give mothers dead babies after giving birth to a live baby they later give you a dead baby while yours is being given to a rich person in exchange for money,” said another.
We have no idea what truly happened at Pumwani Hospital but these babies are human beings that deserve dignity, their deaths shouldn’t be stuffed in boxes. Hopefully, the government’s inquiry will bring to light any malpractice for the safety of more patients to come.
