In Kenya, stories emanating from national referral facilities especially public health facilities have not been encouraging. However, when you go to one facility and receive superior service without preference that is something to be appreciated.
I wish to share a different story of what I experienced on Tuesday 29th May 2018 after visiting the Shoe for Africa Children Hospital at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret. I woke up a stressed man. My son was ill. He hadn't slept well the previous night.
Since I didn’t know what was wrong with him, I thought it was prudent for me to take him to a medical institution which most of my friends have always recommended for me. I had gathered that the Hospital was fully equipped to handle all issues pertaining to children comprehensively.
Here is my full account of what transpired on the day:
On my arrival at the gate leading to Riley Mother and Baby building, I bumped into two security officers manning the gate. All were looking serious with their work. Going by their looks, they were in their late 40s. One of the officers approached me and greeted my son. He asked me what was wrong with him and after few chitchats, he directed me to the Children Hospital, which could be seen from the gate where we were standing.
Upon my arrival at the building, I went straight to the customer care desk and was well received with a decently dressed lady. She introduced herself as Ms. Juliana Wanja. Upon exchanging few good-natured remarks, she informed me that I was in the right place and I will be accorded all the services to the best of their abilities. She immediately directed me to a designated area dubbed “Triage Area”.
I waited for not more than five minutes. Then a lady dressed in a black hijab and whose name was inscribed in the name tag as Najima Adan Ibrahim – informed me that my son was the next patient to be attended to. With a radiant smile, she took me through the steps she was going to undertake on my son referring it as 'checking of the basic vitals.' Upon my granting her permission, she recorded my son's weight, blood pressure, pulse rate and body temperature. She did this meticulously as she kept talking tickling him a little bit making my son, whose fear for injection was building up, relax a little bit.
I was informed by Najima that all the vitals were okay apart from his body temperature that was above normal. She directed me to the records departments were I was given a card to fill basic information and asked to pay Sh50. Maureen Kipchumba, the lady that served me affably, informed me that details/information that I shall provide would be saved on the Hospital's system/database for future reference and treatment. She went further to state that every patient, including my son, has a unique number and every time one is treated there, their medical records shall be captured and easily retrieved in future.
Thereafter, I was directed to meet a medical doctor, Dr. Irene Siria. I shared information regarding my son. She examined him and within no time she made some notes on paper and asked me to go to the lab to have my son undergo some tests. This was done as directed by the doctor. Within no time, I was in the lab and immediately the needed samples were taken and I was told to wait for 30 minutes. Thereafter, my son's name was called out and I picked the results and returned them to the Doctor.
On average, it took me less than two hours for my son to be fully examined and treated. I left the Hospital a very happy person.
I wish to express my gratitude to the management, nurses, doctors and all team that assisted me on 29th May 2018. I am humbled by your humility, professionalism exhibited and most of all, being humane. God bless you all in His own ways.