KNH Admits to SHA System Lapse After Patients Disrupt CS Barasa Meeting

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has clarified the delays being faced by the hospital following a rant by several patients from the hospital who stormed into a press briefing at the Ministry of Health offices at Afya House.

In an official statement by the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Evanson Kamuri on Wednesday evening, KNH acknowledged that the hospital was facing delays in the SHA system paralysing medical services for over 48 hours but assured that the system had been rectified.

“Kenyatta National Hospital wishes to acknowledge a slight lapse in patient care today and reassure the public that the SHA system is now fully operational and aligned with the KNH system,” the statement read in part.

“The recent system downtime experienced over the last two days temporarily disrupted some services,  causing delays in patient clearance and administrative processes,” the statement continued.

The hospital revealed that it deployed additional personnel across all affected departments with extended working hours to ensure all pending cases are resolved promptly and efficiently.

“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused during this period and thank our patients and the public for their understanding and patience. As the leading referral hospital, we are dedicated to upholding the highest standards of care and professionalism, ” the statement concluded.

The clarification came hours after several KNH patients disrupted a press briefing by the Ministry of Health demanding answers over uncertainties and bureaucracies they have been subjected to over the use of SHA.

Causing a commotion, shouting, and bringing the presser to a standstill, the patients decried that their attempts to have their issues addressed were ignored by everyone in the chain of command.

Among the patients who stormed the press briefing was a mother to a 3-day-old baby, who had just undergone a caesarian section surgery and could not be processed to leave the hospital.

”We have walked from Kenyatta because of this thing called SHA, can you tell the truth to Kenyans,” she demanded the Health CS.

The incident happened on Wednesday while the Ministry of Health led by CS Debora Mulongo and Health Director General Dr Patrick Amoth were updating the country on the progress of SHA, three months after its implementation.