Student in trouble for assaulting nurses at Busia hospital

By Peter Ochieng

Trouble maybe brewing for a student who was captured verbally assaulting nurses at Port Victoria hospital, in Busia county.

In an undated video doing rounds on social media, the female student in the company of a man is seen hurling insults at the nurses, for allegedly declining to attend to a patient - supposedly a relative who needed emergency care.

At some point, she said she would call someone by name Ababu, believed to be Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Sports Ababu Namwamba.

She goes ahead to make a call, but the said Ababu does not pick up. The woman is a student at Nairobi Women's Hospital College (NWHC).

In a statement on Thursday, the college's management acknowledged that the viral woman is their student, enrolled in the Theatre and Technology Program. The student is awaiting graduation.

"We strongly condemn the regrettable actions displayed by the woman. These actions do not align with the values and standards we uphold at NWHC. We will institute appropriate measures in line with our institution's policies and procedures."

The woman was seen throwing books and files on the floor, besides abusing the nurses on duty.

Meanwhile, Health CS Susan Nakhumicha has condemned the incident, saying perpetrators of such acts will face the full force of the law.

“Acts of violence against our healthcare workers are not only reprehensible but intolerable. Healthcare workers deserve our utmost respect as they are the backbone of our healthcare system. They work tirelessly – sometimes under challenging conditions to ensure the well-being of all citizens across different hospital levels,” the CS said on Thursday.

“Violence against healthcare workers will not be tolerated and any person culpable of such an act will be apprehended and face the full wrath of the law. The government remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our healthcare professionals across the country," she stated.

"Going forward and considering this incident, I call for mutually respectful engagements between members of the public and healthcare givers as we continue to build and maintain a robust health system."

Reports indicate that the two had allegedly taken an intoxicated to the facility for treatment, and demanded to be attended to ahead of other patients.