Family blames Nakuru hospital over woman's death

Benson Kinyanjui is grappling with heartbreak after the unexpected death of his wife, Elizabeth Wairimu, at Nakuru Level V Hospital last Friday.

What was meant to be a joyful day turned tragic as Kinyanjui had taken his 26-year-old wife to the hospital to welcome their baby boy.

Wairimu, who was 42 weeks pregnant, was admitted to the Margaret Kenyatta Mother and Baby Maternity Wing.

According to her husband, she appeared to be in good health and showed no signs of distress when she was admitted.

"I brought my wife to the hospital on our motorcycle. She was full of energy and humour. We were joking—everything seemed fine," Kinyanjui told the media.

The couple had initially visited the hospital to find out why labour had not begun despite Wairimu being past her due date.

After an evaluation, doctors recommended a caesarean section.

However, the procedure was delayed due to other urgent cases at the facility.

Kinyanjui returned early the next morning, arriving at 6am. He found his wife in high spirits, and the two spent some time together before she was taken to the operating room around 8am.

"At around 1 pm, I received a call from a doctor asking about my whereabouts. When I arrived, he told me complications had occurred during surgery, and they had faced a tough decision between saving the baby or the mother," Kinyanjui recounted, overcome with emotion.

Dr. James Waweru, the hospital’s Medical Superintendent, later stated that Wairimu had actually been taken into theatre at 10 am and the procedure ended by 11:30 am.

However, she began experiencing breathing difficulties while in the recovery room. The surgery had been performed under spinal anaesthesia.

"She was resuscitated and placed on a ventilator while awaiting an ICU bed. At the time, there was none available. One was only secured around 1 pm after another patient was discharged," said Dr Waweru.

Dr. Waweru added that the exact cause of the breathing complications remained unclear and that a post-mortem had been recommended to determine what led to Wairimu's death.

For Kinyanjui, the hospital’s explanation offers little comfort.

"She was everything to me. How am I supposed to go on without her? And what about our newborn? My wife died because of negligence," he said, visibly heartbroken.

Wairimu’s mother, Susan Wanjiku, also expressed her sorrow and frustration.

She had spoken to her daughter shortly before the surgery. Wairimu had mentioned that the facility was overwhelmed with patients and that some staff were expressing exhaustion.

"I called her around midday on Friday. She told me she was prepared for surgery, but there was a long line. When I visited her at 5 pm, she was still lively and dressed for theatre. She said the operation had been rescheduled for Saturday morning," Wanjiku recounted.

Wanjiku spoke with her daughter once more at 7 am on Saturday. Wairimu sounded positive and reassured her not to worry, adding that her husband would keep his phone close during the procedure.

"After waiting for hours without any updates, I called my son-in-law. He told me the last he’d heard was at 8 am. I hurried to the hospital, anxious to find out what was happening," Wanjiku recalled.

"I knew my daughter had passed away when I saw how they were rushing her to ICU," she claimed

Wanjiku raised concerns over the conflicting timelines and suspected delays surrounding the surgery.

"They claimed she was taken to theatre at 8 am, but the operation didn’t start until 10 am. What happened in those two hours?" she questioned.

Determined to seek accountability, Wanjiku said her daughter’s death should serve as a wake-up call for healthcare providers. She vowed to pursue justice so that no other family has to endure a similar loss.