Murang’a politician reveals why he asked Ruai Hospital for Covid-19 jabs
The politician at the centre of the Covid-19 vaccination storm involving Ruai Family Hospital has defended his actions.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) on Tuesday revoked the operating license of the Ruai Family Hospital for allegedly diverting vaccines to other unauthorised premises.
In a letter, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) CEO Dr Daniel Yumbya said the facility contravened the rules governing Covid-19 vaccines deployment when its staff vaccinated people at Gatanga in Murang’a County.
But the convener of the event where the vaccination took place, Mr Edward Muriu, who is a politician, said he made the arrangements with the private hospital, which is licensed to carry out Covid-19 vaccination.
“The true intention was to try and save lives as Gatanga has been the worst hit by Covid-19 leading to closure of businesses and even government offices. Many Covid-19 deaths have been reported in Gatanga,” said Mr Muriu.
Addressing the press, he noted that all Covid-19 containment protocols and procedures of preservation were followed.
He urged the government not to victimise the hospital by closing it.
But Murang'a county commissioner Fred Dunga has since suspended area sub-chief in Gatanga Dominic Mwangi in whose jurisdiction the exercise took place and asked politicians to let professionals handle vaccination exercises.
KMPDC has also told the hospital’s administration to ensure the transfer of all its patients to other facilities.
Very disturbing
The council also wants the management to appear before its disciplinary committee today (Wednesday) accompanied by the personnel involved in the handling of the Covid-19 vaccines in the last month.
In his Covid-19 update on Monday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe warned politicians against politicising the vaccination process.
“This is not only immoral but unacceptable, and very disturbing. This has the potential of endangering the lives of our people," he said.
But the management of the Ruai Family Hospital, in a statement, said it was aware of the ongoing probe where a vaccination exercise was carried out in a political setting in Murang'a.
The hospital said that the exercise was done by one of their former staff member who was pictured during the exercise.
“Until her resignation on 23 August 2021, she was serving as Health Care Manager for RFH Specialist Hospital. She had been directly overseeing the Covid-19 vaccination exercise and was the key custodian of the vaccines. She is a registered nurse by the Nursing Council of Kenya and (is) licensed to practice as so,” said the statement.
The hospital added that the said exercise in Murang'a was not sanctioned by its leadership.
“The management has since called the staff for her statement. She confirms that she was not under any direct authority to take part in the exercise but did so on her own volition. A tally of our vaccine allocation from Dandora depot confirms that 160 doses of what was meant for the hospital for public vaccination were used in the exercise,” it went on.
