• The Kisii County government has sacked two morticians over the sorry state of the public morgue
• Governor Simba Arati paid the facility an impromptu visit after receiving alarming reports of congestion and poor services
• The governor claimed that one of the staff was being arrested for allegedly stealing formalin from the morgue
The Kisii County government has sacked two morticians over the sorry state of the public morgue.
Kisii County Governor, Simba Arati.
Alarmed by reports of congestion and poor services at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, Governor Simba Arati made an impromptu visit to the facility and ordered the dismissal of the two.
Mr Arati claimed there was a well-planned scheme to sabotage services at the facility that serves four counties and termed some of the staff as “traitors”.
“There are plans to sabotage medical services in this facility. I have information on corruption and negligence at the morgue. The staff here have been keeping several bodies in a single cabinet,” he said.
He added: “I have directed the hospital management to make necessary changes. We will not stop here, we are moving to other departments to ensure that all those involved in the sabotage scheme are dealt with.”
The governor claimed that one of the staff was being arrested for allegedly stealing formalin from the morgue.
“This is not about the facility but individuals who are hell-bent on causing a crisis, and we will not sit and watch,” he said.
As the governor addressed the media outside the morgue, the two affected staff were led out of the gate by police officers attached to the Critical Infrastructure Unit moments after receiving their termination letters.
The governor was reacting to a public uproar following allegations that some bodies kept at the facility had decomposed.
Last week, two families alleged that the bodies of their relatives preserved at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital morgue had decomposed. They also complained about the deplorable state of the storage facility.
The hospital’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Douglas Marita said it is their responsibility to ensure quality services.
“We had issues at the morgue that were a result of sabotage. We have taken action and desire to continue offering better services to our people,” said Dr Marita.
The Department of Health has so far implemented several changes at the facility.
The hospital head of accounts was transferred to a new station a couple of weeks ago.
The County Pharmacist sought a transfer to one of the neighbouring counties while the County Medical Director was replaced.
Several changes have also been implemented at the facility affecting more than 30 staff.
