The board of Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital has vehemently denied explosive allegations made by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino regarding women delivering babies on the floor, defending their maternity services and cautioning against the politicization of public healthcare.

A fierce war of words has erupted over the state of maternal healthcare in Nairobi's Eastlands, with the management of Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital mounting a vigorous defense against accusations of gross medical negligence. The facility has found itself at the center of a political storm following incendiary claims by a local lawmaker.

This controversy strikes at the heart of public trust in state-funded medical institutions. For millions of lower- and middle-income Kenyans, facilities like Mama Lucy are the only viable option for life-saving maternity care. Unverified allegations of deplorable conditions not only incite panic among expectant mothers but also demoralize frontline healthcare workers operating under inherently high-pressure conditions.

The Genesis of the Dispute

The confrontation was ignited when Embakasi East MP Babu Owino publicly alleged that severe overcrowding and administrative failures at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital were forcing expectant mothers to deliver their babies on the cold, hard floors of the facility. The claims quickly gained traction, painting a grim picture of a broken public health system unable to cope with the demands of Nairobi's burgeoning population.

In a swift and comprehensive rebuttal, the hospital's board chairperson, Dorcas Kemunto, dismissed the narrative as factually bankrupt. She challenged the lawmaker to provide concrete evidence of the alleged incidents, emphasizing that the hospital adheres strictly to established medical protocols and prioritizes the dignity of every patient.

A Modernized Maternity Wing

To counter the narrative of systemic decay, the hospital management laid out a detailed inventory of its current capabilities. Far from being an overwhelmed and under-equipped clinic, Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital has undergone significant upgrades aimed at transforming it into a premier maternal healthcare provider in the region.

• Expanded Capacity: The facility now boasts a fully operational 120-bed maternity wing, drastically reducing congestion and eliminating the need for patients to share beds.
• Critical Care Units: The hospital is equipped with functional Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), ensuring specialized care for high-risk pregnancies and premature infants.
• Self-Sufficiency: A newly established, fully operational blood bank has significantly reduced the hospital's reliance on external facilities, resulting in a marked decrease in maternal referrals to the Kenyatta National Hospital.

These infrastructural investments, funded collaboratively by the county and national governments, were specifically designed to absorb the high volume of patients from surrounding densely populated areas like Kayole, Umoja, and Dandora. The management contends that these upgrades make the scenario of floor deliveries practically impossible under current operational standards.

The Dangers of Politicizing Healthcare

Beyond the specific allegations, the hospital board raised a broader alarm about the weaponization of healthcare for political capital. Chairperson Kemunto issued a stern warning to political leaders, urging them to refrain from using critical public health institutions as arenas for grandstanding and point-scoring.

The board demanded a formal retraction and a public apology from the lawmaker, arguing that such reckless statements erode the hard-won confidence of the community. In an environment where the transition to the new Social Health Authority (SHA) and the phasing out of the Linda Mama program are already causing anxiety among patients, the hospital stressed the need for responsible leadership.

"Public health institutions must not be used as platforms for political contestation, particularly where statements risk creating unnecessary panic," Kemunto stated, reaffirming the hospital's unwavering commitment to dignified healthcare.