Kisumu County Health Chief Executive Dr Elizabeth Ogaja has instructed the County Director of Health to give her a report on claims that guards at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital have been attending to patients.
The directive comes after a video of a guard handling medical files of patients at the hospital went viral on the social media on Thursday.
In the video recorded by a relative to the patient, the guards are seen handling the files and confirming that the patient had been admitted. The resident who posted the video lamented over the laxity of health workers in the facility and lack of basic drugs.
The video drew anger among social media users who accused the county government of "playing with the health of its residents."
Dr Ogaja who admitted to having seen the video regretted the incident saying it showed high level of unethical situation in health sector.
"Only qualified health practitioners are allowed to handle patients' files.
It was an unfortunate situation because it exposed the confidentiality required in health service provision," said Ogaja.
She added: "Even though we may admit to having shortage of staffs, it is not ethical to have unauthorised people handle patients' file, and that is why I have directed for investigations and a report given to me before the close of the day.
Ogaja who spoke to the writer on phone on Friday after the video went viral, confirmed that the county is in the process of recruiting 300 health workers to gap the shortage at the facility and other health facilities across the county.
"If we have enough staff and necessary equipment in the other health facilities then we will reduce the pressure on the referral hospital," she said.