400 victims every month: Hospital CEO raises red flag over sexual abuse
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County. The hospital says it handles more than 400 cases related to sexual violence every month.
What you need to know:
- CEO Wilson Aruasa called for urgent action from all stakeholders to prevent the situation from getting out of control.
- He attributed the increase in cases to poverty and lack of guidance and counselling.
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, attends to more than 400 sexual violence victims every month, according to its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Wilson Aruasa.
Dr Aruasa said sexual violence against elderly women and minors from the North Rift and Western regions has been alarming, citing their admissions.
He called for urgent action from all stakeholders to prevent the situation from getting out of control. He attributed the increase in cases to poverty and lack of guidance and counselling.
“We are receiving over 400 serious defilement and rape cases at the hospital every month, with the majority of them being women aged over 75 years and girls as young as two months old.”
Dr Aruasa reiterated the urgent need for church leaders, the political class, elders, women and youth to steer aggressive awareness campaigns in rural areas, where the vice is prevalent.
Among the victims of defilement is a two-month-old baby girl, who was rushed to the hospital. Her mother had left her unattended when the predator took advantage of the situation.
Dr Irene Simiyu said the minor succumbed to her injuries while being attended to. “We sadly lost the two-month-old baby girl who had been brought to the hospital for treatment after she was defiled by a relative,” said the medic.
