UPDATE: CONTINUING CRUELTY, TORTURE AND ILLEGAL DETENTION OF POOR WOMEN IN PUMWANI MATERNITY HOSPITAL
Comrades,
It is August 10, 2009; exactly one week since out last visit at the Pumwani Maternity Hospital. We arrived at 4.30pm to check on the status of the detained women. On August 3, 2009 when we last visited the hospital and found 34 women detained, we raised the issue with the social worker at the hospital, Ms. Elizabeth Muthandi (mobile phone number 0722994121) who promised to resolve the problem in consultation with the hospital administration. She informed us that the Hospital’s waiver committee was due to sit within the week of August 3-7, 2009 and that the committee would consider a waiver of the fees. The following is an update since our last visit:
As at 6:00PM, August 10, 2009:
* 19 women are still being detained, most of them since June 2009.
* Of the 19 women, 14 women have been detained for more than 4 weeks.
* 5 of the women have been detained since June 2009, for as many as nine weeks!
* Sharon Mutheu has been detained since June 7, 2009, for more than 9 weeks, simply because the hospital’s social worker dislikes her. Sharon reports that while pregnant she escaped from an abusive relationship and sought refuge with friends for months. The social worker insists that Sharon MUST return to the abusive husband and that Sharon must take her to the home she had escaped from months before she delivered a beautiful baby girl. Sharon is adamant that she needs to move on with her life and start over in a safer environment for the sake of her little child. That is the gist of the disagreement between her and the social worker and as a result she is constantly passed over when fees for other women are waived.
* Detained since June 23, 2009 when she delivered a healthy baby boy, Mercy Kendi has watched her baby gradually lose weight and get weaker, until he has been admitted at the nursery. Her baby has not only lost weight but has, due to increased cold and inadequate beddings, developed a fever and a congested chest. He has been admitted at the nursery since Sunday August 2, 2009.
* Nancy Wambui, detained since July 14, 2009 is reported to be severely disturbed, suicidal and is, according to our sources, being sedated at the hospital. Being malnourished, her baby has been at the nursery for the last two weeks. Nancy is as alone as one can get- she is an orphan with no siblings. She cries all the time, spends most of the day sitting alone at Ward 3 where she is detained. Nancy wasn’t always like that. The women who have been detained alongside Nancy report that she was okay and that her mental state has deteriorated over time. She delivered a healthy baby boy on July 14, 2009 and was promptly discharged but has been detained at the hospital. During this detention and unable to produce enough milk to feed the baby he has lost weight and has now been admitted at the hospital’s nursery.
These are the additional findings:
* Increased harassment of the detained women after our visit: The women report that since our visit, they have been subjected to continued insults and harassment by some of the hospital’s workers. There are collaborated reports that Ward 2’s Sister-In-Charge and one nurse in Ward 3 are notorious for this. There are also specific reports that the social worker has been insulting and threatening the women. Women detained in Ward 3 were told that if they speak to us they would be arrested and were instructed to notify the Sister-In-Charge of the ward of our presence in the hospital.
* Cruel and inhumane treatment: The women complain that they continue to be denied food and the Sister-In-Charge of Ward 2 is reported to have told the women that she would ensure that they get very little food since she would rather the food was fed to pigs. As a result, nearly all the women who have been at the hospital for more than 3 weeks have babies who are losing weight.
* Bribery and compromise: The women report that they have been approached to give bribes in order to secure their release. Those that are unable to raise the required bribe money do not get their fees waived. This explains why some of the women who have been detained since June, and whose plight we highlighted on August 3, 2009 were not released along with the women who were released on August 5 or 7. The allegation is that the social worker uses her position to settle personal scores as in the case of Sharon Mutheu and the committee does not waive fees on the basis of need. Most of the women released last week had only been detained for about a week. The explanation offered by the social worker and the hospital secretary is not plausible- that the women released last week owed less money because the bills of the women who continue to be detained have only increased as a result of the illegal detention. Every day their bill increases by Kenya Shillings 400.00. The longer they are held, the higher the bill! It is a true shame that when the waiver committee sits it uses these exorbitant and outrageous bills as an excuse to continue detaining the poor women.
The hospital’s waiver committee appears to be a circus of the unwilling. After finding the women still being detained at the hospital, I sought audience with the administration. I met with Mr. Wanjira, the Hospital Secretary; the Matron; Elizabeth Muthandi the Social Worker and Mr. Kirwa. Their response to all the issues raised, besides the usual stares of incongruity (almost all the members of the hospital administration never seem to be aware of what is going on in the hospital), was that the matters highlighted would be investigated. The Matron could not deal with the issue of the nurses that harass and insult the women; she was too tired because, as she explained, she had spent the whole afternoon showing visitors (donors) around the hospital. The social worker had no comment on any of the issues raised and neither confirmed nor denied allegations of bribery and harassment of which she is personally accused. Mr. Kirwa had absolutely nothing to say, not a single word in more than an hour.
The following is a complete list of all the women currently being detained along with the date of detention and sex of the child delivered. Please note that this list includes only those women who have been discharged but are being illegally held at the hospital only because they have not paid their hospital bill. In other words, save for the fact that they are poor and unable to meet the costs of their healthcare, these women would be at home. A minor exception may be made for the three women whose babies are now admitted at the nursery, but we reiterate that all the babies are admitted because they are malnourished and underweight- a condition directly attributable to the fact that their mothers are not properly fed and cannot produce enough breast milk to sustain the babies.
WARD 2:
Name Sex of Child Date of Detention
1. Mercy Kendi Male 23/June/2009
2. Alice Nyambura Male 25/June/2009
3. Jealious Mugure Male 26/June/2009
4. Faith Loko Male 27/June/2009
5. Rose Atieno Male 5/July/2009
7. Violet Makokha Female 8/July/2009
8. Judy Mwihaki Female 13/July/2009
9. Dorcas Wanjiru Male 4/August/2009
10. Dorcas Ochwada Female 1/August/2009 *
* (has 3 children currently being minded by a neighbour)
WARD 3:
Name Sex of Child Date of Detention
1. Sharon Mutheu Female 7/June/2009
2. Janet Nduku Female 6/July/2009
3. Alice Akinyi Male 6/July/2009
4. Catherine Msamuli Male 9/July/2009
5. Joyce Achieng Female 10/July/2009
6. Judith Wanjiru Male 12/July/2009
7. Nancy Wambui Male 14/July/2009
8. Margaret Wambui Female 23/July/2009
9. Grace Akinyi Female 31/August/2009
The Pumwani Maternity Hospital will not reform unless action is taken. At this stage we recommend that the following direct action be taken as a matter of urgency:
1.) That an immediate review of the competency of the hospital staff, especially the social worker be conducted. Redeployment of the nursing staff to other facilities and or regular rotation of staff is advised. There is an apparent network among the staff that reinforces bad practices.
2.) That the Hospital Secretary be compelled to convene the Waiver Committee at a specified date without fail. He explained that he failed to convene the meeting due on July 31, 2009 because 12 women had promised to pay their bills during that weekend (August 1-2, 2009). That excuse is not good enough. The meeting should have proceeded with respect to the other women!
3.) That all known donors to the Pumwani Maternity Hospital be actively lobbied to stop supporting the hospital as long as it continues to detain poor women. We are researching to find these donors and will forward the information as and when we get it.
4.) That as many of you call, write and fax the hospital and the Ministry of Medical Services demanding an end to this practice and also asking for a policy directive from the ministry that labour and post-natal care shall be provided free of charge to all women.
The following are useful contacts that you can use for further advocacy:
Pumwani Maternity Hospital: Tel: + 254 20 676 3291 – 7, Fax: +254 20 676 2965
Keep speaking out for these poor women. Last week some of them were released. Help us make freedom a reality for all the others.
Best,
Wangui Mbatia
It is August 10, 2009; exactly one week since out last visit at the Pumwani Maternity Hospital. We arrived at 4.30pm to check on the status of the detained women. On August 3, 2009 when we last visited the hospital and found 34 women detained, we raised the issue with the social worker at the hospital, Ms. Elizabeth Muthandi (mobile phone number 0722994121) who promised to resolve the problem in consultation with the hospital administration. She informed us that the Hospital’s waiver committee was due to sit within the week of August 3-7, 2009 and that the committee would consider a waiver of the fees. The following is an update since our last visit:
As at 6:00PM, August 10, 2009:
* 19 women are still being detained, most of them since June 2009.
* Of the 19 women, 14 women have been detained for more than 4 weeks.
* 5 of the women have been detained since June 2009, for as many as nine weeks!
* Sharon Mutheu has been detained since June 7, 2009, for more than 9 weeks, simply because the hospital’s social worker dislikes her. Sharon reports that while pregnant she escaped from an abusive relationship and sought refuge with friends for months. The social worker insists that Sharon MUST return to the abusive husband and that Sharon must take her to the home she had escaped from months before she delivered a beautiful baby girl. Sharon is adamant that she needs to move on with her life and start over in a safer environment for the sake of her little child. That is the gist of the disagreement between her and the social worker and as a result she is constantly passed over when fees for other women are waived.
* Detained since June 23, 2009 when she delivered a healthy baby boy, Mercy Kendi has watched her baby gradually lose weight and get weaker, until he has been admitted at the nursery. Her baby has not only lost weight but has, due to increased cold and inadequate beddings, developed a fever and a congested chest. He has been admitted at the nursery since Sunday August 2, 2009.
* Nancy Wambui, detained since July 14, 2009 is reported to be severely disturbed, suicidal and is, according to our sources, being sedated at the hospital. Being malnourished, her baby has been at the nursery for the last two weeks. Nancy is as alone as one can get- she is an orphan with no siblings. She cries all the time, spends most of the day sitting alone at Ward 3 where she is detained. Nancy wasn’t always like that. The women who have been detained alongside Nancy report that she was okay and that her mental state has deteriorated over time. She delivered a healthy baby boy on July 14, 2009 and was promptly discharged but has been detained at the hospital. During this detention and unable to produce enough milk to feed the baby he has lost weight and has now been admitted at the hospital’s nursery.
These are the additional findings:
* Increased harassment of the detained women after our visit: The women report that since our visit, they have been subjected to continued insults and harassment by some of the hospital’s workers. There are collaborated reports that Ward 2’s Sister-In-Charge and one nurse in Ward 3 are notorious for this. There are also specific reports that the social worker has been insulting and threatening the women. Women detained in Ward 3 were told that if they speak to us they would be arrested and were instructed to notify the Sister-In-Charge of the ward of our presence in the hospital.
* Cruel and inhumane treatment: The women complain that they continue to be denied food and the Sister-In-Charge of Ward 2 is reported to have told the women that she would ensure that they get very little food since she would rather the food was fed to pigs. As a result, nearly all the women who have been at the hospital for more than 3 weeks have babies who are losing weight.
* Bribery and compromise: The women report that they have been approached to give bribes in order to secure their release. Those that are unable to raise the required bribe money do not get their fees waived. This explains why some of the women who have been detained since June, and whose plight we highlighted on August 3, 2009 were not released along with the women who were released on August 5 or 7. The allegation is that the social worker uses her position to settle personal scores as in the case of Sharon Mutheu and the committee does not waive fees on the basis of need. Most of the women released last week had only been detained for about a week. The explanation offered by the social worker and the hospital secretary is not plausible- that the women released last week owed less money because the bills of the women who continue to be detained have only increased as a result of the illegal detention. Every day their bill increases by Kenya Shillings 400.00. The longer they are held, the higher the bill! It is a true shame that when the waiver committee sits it uses these exorbitant and outrageous bills as an excuse to continue detaining the poor women.
The hospital’s waiver committee appears to be a circus of the unwilling. After finding the women still being detained at the hospital, I sought audience with the administration. I met with Mr. Wanjira, the Hospital Secretary; the Matron; Elizabeth Muthandi the Social Worker and Mr. Kirwa. Their response to all the issues raised, besides the usual stares of incongruity (almost all the members of the hospital administration never seem to be aware of what is going on in the hospital), was that the matters highlighted would be investigated. The Matron could not deal with the issue of the nurses that harass and insult the women; she was too tired because, as she explained, she had spent the whole afternoon showing visitors (donors) around the hospital. The social worker had no comment on any of the issues raised and neither confirmed nor denied allegations of bribery and harassment of which she is personally accused. Mr. Kirwa had absolutely nothing to say, not a single word in more than an hour.
The following is a complete list of all the women currently being detained along with the date of detention and sex of the child delivered. Please note that this list includes only those women who have been discharged but are being illegally held at the hospital only because they have not paid their hospital bill. In other words, save for the fact that they are poor and unable to meet the costs of their healthcare, these women would be at home. A minor exception may be made for the three women whose babies are now admitted at the nursery, but we reiterate that all the babies are admitted because they are malnourished and underweight- a condition directly attributable to the fact that their mothers are not properly fed and cannot produce enough breast milk to sustain the babies.
WARD 2:
Name Sex of Child Date of Detention
1. Mercy Kendi Male 23/June/2009
2. Alice Nyambura Male 25/June/2009
3. Jealious Mugure Male 26/June/2009
4. Faith Loko Male 27/June/2009
5. Rose Atieno Male 5/July/2009
7. Violet Makokha Female 8/July/2009
8. Judy Mwihaki Female 13/July/2009
9. Dorcas Wanjiru Male 4/August/2009
10. Dorcas Ochwada Female 1/August/2009 *
* (has 3 children currently being minded by a neighbour)
WARD 3:
Name Sex of Child Date of Detention
1. Sharon Mutheu Female 7/June/2009
2. Janet Nduku Female 6/July/2009
3. Alice Akinyi Male 6/July/2009
4. Catherine Msamuli Male 9/July/2009
5. Joyce Achieng Female 10/July/2009
6. Judith Wanjiru Male 12/July/2009
7. Nancy Wambui Male 14/July/2009
8. Margaret Wambui Female 23/July/2009
9. Grace Akinyi Female 31/August/2009
The Pumwani Maternity Hospital will not reform unless action is taken. At this stage we recommend that the following direct action be taken as a matter of urgency:
1.) That an immediate review of the competency of the hospital staff, especially the social worker be conducted. Redeployment of the nursing staff to other facilities and or regular rotation of staff is advised. There is an apparent network among the staff that reinforces bad practices.
2.) That the Hospital Secretary be compelled to convene the Waiver Committee at a specified date without fail. He explained that he failed to convene the meeting due on July 31, 2009 because 12 women had promised to pay their bills during that weekend (August 1-2, 2009). That excuse is not good enough. The meeting should have proceeded with respect to the other women!
3.) That all known donors to the Pumwani Maternity Hospital be actively lobbied to stop supporting the hospital as long as it continues to detain poor women. We are researching to find these donors and will forward the information as and when we get it.
4.) That as many of you call, write and fax the hospital and the Ministry of Medical Services demanding an end to this practice and also asking for a policy directive from the ministry that labour and post-natal care shall be provided free of charge to all women.
The following are useful contacts that you can use for further advocacy:
Pumwani Maternity Hospital: Tel: + 254 20 676 3291 – 7, Fax: +254 20 676 2965
Keep speaking out for these poor women. Last week some of them were released. Help us make freedom a reality for all the others.
Best,
Wangui Mbatia
posted by s.a.r.a.l.e.a.o. at Domingo, Agosto 16, 2009
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