We must redem the integrity of Hospital

We must redem the integrity of Hospital

Over the past roughly a year, Moi Teaching and Referal Hospital has been on the spotlight for unnecessarily bad reasons. The director’s appointment saga, death threats to an assistant director, staff protests, tribalism claims, reported patient and journalists’ harassment, police intrusion at the height of the post-election violence and alleged corruption are just some of the evils that have, in a nagging insistence, plagued this beloved hospital. The sooner it puts these ghosts behind it, the better.

Having been a student of the School of Public Health, Moi University, Town Campus (brain child of Prof. Mengech who was the founding dean of the faculty of Health Sciences) for the past four years, I feel I have witnessed how expedient the hospital is to the socio-economic development of the East African region. Walking through the corridors of the hospital to class and room, I had always had reasons to believe it does not deserve all the meddling.

This Teaching and Referal Hospital is not just like any other. As a teaching hospital, it gives life to the School of Medicine (Moi University), KMTC (Eldoret), Baraton University (Nursing School) among other institutions. Due to it, Moi University’s School of Medicine attracts students from all over the world for studies and exchange programmes.

It has some of the world reknown physicians and academicians like Prof. Mengech, Prof. Ayuo, Prof. Kimaiyo, Prof. Esamai, Prof. Chemtai, amongst others. This has in turn made it a centre of medical research. A breathe of the air inside the corridors of the hospital is freshening, not just because of the beautiful short trees within it, but because of the abundance of knowledge in the offices that hang over the wards.

The former Director is the brainchild of another beacon of hope to thousands in Western Kenya and Rift-Valley, AMPATH. The Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) is Kenya's most comprehensive initiative to combat HIV.

It is a working model of urban and rural HIV preventive and treatment services in the public sector. AMPATH cares for more than 100,000 HIV-infected adults and children, with nearly one-half of all patients on anti-retroviral drugs, and enrollment into the program rising by 2,000 patients per month.

The story of how a humble cottage hospital started in 1921 can be told in many pages. It saddens to see these events colluding to corrode its reputation. We must strongly turn from this. All stakeholders must rise to the occasion and think of how far things have come and what needs to be done to get things back to normalcy.

We can take advantage of the renewed wind of change and an inspired sense of accountable leadership to inspire people like me who believe that the scandals bedeviling this hospital can be defeated. We must admit that our politics is still young and lacking in directional leadership and stop bringing politics into the management of the hospital.

In a country where health facilities are few and the few ones are under-drugged, under-staffed and under-equipped, we have to support this beauty of an infrastructure. Billions have been invested into building this hospital and donors have shown commitment to increasingly support it. The ghosts are not good signals at all!

The people who this hospital has helped in any way must think of how to make it better. It is no one’s, no community’s and no group’s hospital. It has proven to be the hospital of the world. The world is looking upon us as Kenyans, to clear it of any taint. Let us not disappoint.  

Chrispory Juma Ombuya,

(Final-year student of BSc. Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Moi University)

Chrisjuma1@yahoo.com

Rampant Husband beater shown what it means to be a husband

Rampant Husband beater shown what it means to be a husband

            By Chrispory Juma

Downtown Homa Bay was treated to free market-day drama when a woman who enjoys beating her husband was properly disciplined by a male on-looker whom she provoked. The woman, a short and plump lady who sells soft-drinks at a joint in town is said to be so powerful over her husband that whenever he refuses to heed to her numerous orders, he is turned into her punching bag.

On that fateful evening of Wednesday last week, the woman had spotted her husband in town with an unknown woman, an act which has often landed him in thorough beating by her. She called her husband to go over to their kiosk for an errand.

When the man went to her, she pounced on him with blows and punches in full glare of the public. For those who know them, this was a common daily ritual for the husband. The couple, which had lived together for two years treated the drama loving town to a real spectacle. What was interesting was that the woman was the one who was yelling at the top of her voice as though she was the one who was on the receiving end.

One passerby gathered enough courage to ask her why she was embarrassing her husband in public like that to which she retorted, “We kelona. Koso in bende idwa ni amiyi magi? Kik imilri koda.(Don’t joke with me. Or you also want me beat you?)” The man wondered why the woman had thought that all me were like her husband: weak and vulnerable. He couldn’t withstand the humiliation coupled with the continued prodding of the husband by this woman.

Within a twinkle of an eye, he had picked a cane, went to the woman and grabbed her from the husband with the crowd cheering him. He caned her thoroughly while she fruitlessly tried to wrestle him. Finally, she lay on the ground, writhing in pain, crying like a baby and her top tattered. The husband, seeing a window of opportunity, added her more canings coupled with real kicks. She turned into a ridicule with many men telling her off to her face that men deserve respect. She was forced to repent to her husband that she would never ‘husband’ him again.

Revelations arose how she loved to hang out at a popular Ohangla joint in the town, locking her husband inside the house. Most men were overheard whispering how husband-battering was rampant in the town yet it was only domestic violence against women was the one which was being highlighted. One of them mellowed, “Where is our FIDA?”

Father mistakenly ‘disciplined’ instead of son

 Father mistakenly ‘disciplined’ instead of son

          By Chrispory Juma

A father in Shauri Yako Estate in Homa-Bay town felt the wrath of a local provincial administrator who mistook him for a son who was meant to be disciplined.

He had allegedly gone to the administrator two weeks before the incident to report about his wayward son. As a concerned parent eager to discipline his child at whatever cost, he sought the assistance of the administrator over a son who had proven quite a hard nut to crack for him.

His son, a student at a local high school, had not only become disrespectful of him but also involved himself in drinking sprees and wanton clubbing in various clubs within the town. He squandered school fees with disregard of his parents’ plight in their struggles to raise him up.

He was a true semblance of his father from head to toes. They had the same height, complexion and tone. To his father, he had become a danger worth of even taking his parents’ life. Therefore, seeking a third-party’s help was vital.

True to his duty of always keeping wayward youths in check through cruel lashings in his office, the administrator promised the father that the son would be effectively dealt with. But one obstacle remained: Getting the son to the administrator’s office would be so difficult. So the they agreed that the administrator comes for the ‘disciplinary operation’ at the fathers home.

A week before the operation  , he did a survey at the home to know the exact house of the son in the homestead because the son used to disappear the whole day only to reappear in the thick of the night. An agreement was reached that the administrator would strike at 11 p.m.

The fateful night arrived when as bad luck would dictate that night, the father was outside answering to a short call of nature when the administrator arrived with his squad of trusted ‘youths’ who essence are older than him.            

Within seconds, they mistakenly pounced on the father with kicks and blows. One of them was heard saying,    “In ema isebedo kithago wuonu kae? Iwe ni ipong’, donge? (You are the one who has been disturbing your father here? You think you are old enough.”

Helpless, the father was overheard yelling, “Yaye chief ok en an. En e ode kacha. An nawuok mana layo (Chief, it isn’t me. He is there in his house. I just came out to pee).” 

The son quickly noticed the commotion, ran out of the house to hide behind an edge just to witness the sweet drama unfold. By the time the administrator realized an error in his target, the father was writhing in pain, lamenting why he had to be a look-alike of a son who had taken the opposite of his character. The son has never been seen, three weeks since the incident occurred.                                                                                                                                   

The Public Health Implications of recycled Condoms

The Public Health Implications of recycled condoms

Getting back to the story of recycled condoms in Isiolo, let us look at the Public Health issues that surround this act. I would be almost certain to guess that this is an act which is practiced by people in other areas within the country.

But has any one of us dissected the public health issues around this act which is close to be referred to as heinous if not for the fact that it is an act of desperation of a people who are so aware of the fact that they need to protect themselves against any Sexually Transmitted Infection?

In rare occasion are condoms recycled for other purposes but not for sexual intercourse. China recycles them to be used as hair bands, a practiced rarely practiced.

As I had mentioned this just affirmed how we have not prioritized preventive medicine. There is no way we can claim victory against HIV/AIDS if our people do not have the condoms to protect themselves. The problems facing availability of condoms are so dire. That we have to wait for UNFPs donation is a laughable shame. Their scarcity has seen private enterprises like pubs and supermarkets take advantage of this to sell a pack of condoms for as high as Ksh. 100.

A condom is a thin sheath made of latex (a type of rubber) worn by either a man or a woman before intercourse as a contraceptive. It is a flexible, greasy rubber that becomes larger and soft.

This just means that recycling would alter the original configuration of the condom thus dilute their purpose. The lubrication which is meant to convenience sexual intercourse shall not be any more. Latex itself is not recyclable.

As an inquisition, how many female condoms were donated? What is even the rate of awareness of female condom use amongst our mothers? It would be a case of misplaced priorities to put a lot of emphasis on male condoms and become oblivious of the female ones. Others would call this gender bias. It is worth noting that they should not be used at the same time because they can get stuck together to cause one of the other to slip during intercourse, making them ineffective.

The people were recycling the condoms using water, whose purity was obviously in doubt. The newly made condoms are sterile. Therefore their washing subjects them to micro-organisms like bacteria and viruses which they are meant to protect us from.

The fact that the condoms get dried on thorns can’t go unnoticed. It is really ridiculous not to expect them to be prickled upon.

Most of us may be tempted to re-use condoms just because there is no ejaculation.

This whole issue of condom recycling brings into question the matter of condom disposal. I remember when I was in a sex education forum in Kajiado last year, one of the participants asked us who used dispose of the condoms after use-the man or the woman?- She noted that this was in itself an area of conflict amongst certain people thus making them not use condoms at all. Stakeholders must do their level best to create awareness on there and other issues because some people might be recycling, not because they have limited supply but because they are not aware it is wrong.

Chrispory Juma Ombuya.

Final-Year Environmental Health student of Moi University, School of Public Health.

Our brothers and sisters in uniform must not disregard the law

Our brothers and sisters in uniform must not disregard the law

The beauty with the law is that it makes every citizen a subject, inspite of one’s social and political standing. It privileges everyone to rights and freedoms that must be protected at all times. It is for this purpose that it must be safeguarded. That is why there is the judicial arm of the government. The police (Prisons, GSU and Kenya Police) are mandated with protection of the law and ensuring that no one undermines it and infringes on the rights and freedoms of others.

This does not put them anywhere above the law. Neither does it exempt them from any responsibility of a normal citizen of this country. As a matter of fact, good custodians of the law put the people they protect first.

The latest event of how prison wardens stormed Kakamega General Hospital and terrorized the guards and brought activities at the hospital to a near standstill is just one of the many instances of oppression by our beloved police officers we meet in our day to day activities.

Fact of the matter is that our police officers have always thought that they are so above the law that their welfare comes first in the public domain. Maybe it is supposed to be like that, it is the public which is not getting it. Maybe there is a section of the constitution that gives them an edge when it comes to respect for simple civil ethics. Someone needs to come clear on this.

They do believe they come first in everything. They do not line up in banks or at any event. Infact they also ensure their relatives do not line up. To instill fear amongst disgruntled citizens, some come with guns. Who will dare raise a hand when there is a gun around? In the present state, one may even be shot dead and made to look like a thug. How are their vehicles driven on our roads? On high speed, they pass traffic police unchecked, infact, accompanied by a salute.

Examples abound and the fact of the matter is that the public is not happy with this at all. Infact, this bullying tendency has just aggravated public hatred for an arm of the government that seriously needs radical surgery to be totally embraced by the people.

We hope for a police force that considers itself a servant of the people, that does not undermine them and that which considers itself an equal of the people it protects. The law protects all of us.

If the wardens behaved like in public, who can guess what our prisoners go through in those maximum security penal facilities? God protect me, I don’t find myself there.

We pray that the police reforms move swiftly fact. We can’t achieve this if we continue with this culture of denial that has always characterized our leaders while defending our security operatives. We must admit that something is wrong with our society and work together to bring it back to sanity. Kenyans will never reap the full benefits of the new constitution if the people mandated to protect their rights, freedoms and autonomy are not reformed. We pray for flexibility over this.

Chrispory Juma Ombuya,

Final-year student of Environmental Health, Moi University.

How seriously does the Kenyan Government take preventive health-care?

How seriously does the Kenyan Government take preventive health Care?

           By Chrispory Juma Ombuya

When Isiolo’s residents were on record to be recycling used condoms or using polythene bags, it became a national shame as to how our health care system has failed. It became a question of teaching the people the necessity of milk but not giving the cups with which to drink it. The public health implications of this action aside, we lay bare our inability to establish preventive health care for our people.

The general public may have been surprised. But personally as a Public Health student, the reality of how the government has preferred curative health care to preventive health care re-affirmed itself to me. If a government can’t provide condoms for just nearly 20 million sexually active Kenyans, how able is it to provide facilities that can provide treatment against diseases that result from unprotected sex if prevention is really cheaper that cure?

Preventive health care includes measures taken to prevent diseases rather than curing them or treating their symptoms. Preventive health care measures include hygiene and sanitation, immunization, chemoprophylaxis, disease surveillance, screening, safe sex, nutrition and health promotion. It is also called Public Health which means that it deals with the health of populations rather than that of an individual. It also means that health is not just the absence of disease or infirmity but a state of full physical, mental, social and spiritual wellness.

Therefore, for a developing country like Kenya, preventive health care should be a priority. But every year, millions of Kenyans die from preventable diseases. Chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and hypertension and infectious diseases like cholera and HIV/AIDS continue to take lives daily. Road accidents fatalities have become parts of our everyday lives.

The writing is all on the wall: the government has failed to make preventive health care practicable and accessible for all Kenyans. To me it is a policy issue. It appears that the health patriarchs convinced our political class that cure was better than prevention.

On personnel development, the government seems focused on increasing the number of doctors and nurses and improving on their welfares. There are proper structures of personnel transition through proper internship programmes. But what of PHOs? We must agree that there is a point from the 1970s when PHOs lost grip of preventive medicine in Kenya. It is no surprise that other professionals hold senior preventive health care policy making organs in the government. PHO interns continue to languish in a sea of confusion with relatively despicable terms of engagement. There are talks of Public Health graduates moving to the NGO world and deserting the government jobs offered to them, some even without notice. I owe it all to the deplorable conditions and terms on offer.

How many cancer screening centers do we have in this country? Fact of the matter is that there are more malarial clinical centers than diagnostic centers in Kenya. We should invest more in VCT and Recreational Centers just as we invest in constructing hospitals. We must give emphasis on community strategies just as we give clinical ones.

The splitting of the Ministry of Health into that of Medical services and Public Health and Sanitation was deemed to be a good opportunity to re-define preventive health. Inspite of the frequent bickering of ministers for either side over power, I must commend the Chief Public Health Officer for the efforts he is making to prioritize preventive health through personnel capacitation and institutional changes.

The writer is a final-year Environmental Health student at Moi University, School of Public Health.

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