Nairobi Woman Representative, Esther Passaris has come to the aid of a woman who gave birth outside the gate of a Nairobi hospital due to lack of Ksh20.
Passaris sent a team of representatives who traced the new mum’s home and presented gifts to her
She expressed her disregard for the inhumane way the Dandora Health Centre treated the lady at such a critical time, where she was in dire need of their assistance.
She also made an appeal to members of the public to donate some food, clothes and household stuff to support the lady.
My team traced the young lady and brought unga, sugar, soap and cooking oil among other items. It's a shame the state let her down at a critical time and I'll look into that. Meanwhile if you have baby clothes, beddings, dry food, household stuff you wish to donate, let me know. https://t.co/NDi9rYclNG pic.twitter.com/MG0UKPBva9
— Hon. Esther M Passaris (@EstherPassaris) September 18, 2019
The new mum delivered her baby outside the gate of Dandora Health Centre for failing to pay Ksh 20 registration fee.
According to area residents, the hospital staff denied the pregnant woman access to the hospital, leaving her with no other option but to deliver at the facility’s main entrance all by herself.
Dandora residents held protests outside the hospital accusing it of negligence. They urged Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko, to intervene in the matter as this was becoming a common norm in public hospitals.
They questioned why the hospital demanded Ksh 20 yet maternal services are supposed to be offered free of charge in all public health facilities.
In August 2019, a similar incident was experienced at Mama Lucy hospital where a woman gave birth on the floor.
In a video released on social media, the woman is seen lying on the floor with her baby, while hospital staff members seemed unbothered.