A 26-year-old woman, Elizabeth Njoroge, passed away on Saturday at the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital (NCRTH) due to complications following an emergency cesarean section.
In an official statement, Nakuru County’s Health CEC Roselyn Mungai confirmed that Njoroge had been admitted to the hospital on Friday at 11:00 a.m. in early labor with a postdated pregnancy.
She underwent surgery the following day and delivered a healthy baby boy at approximately 11:30 a.m.
However, Mungai stated that shortly after delivery, Elizabeth developed unexpected complications, including low oxygen levels and breathing difficulties.
Medical personnel resuscitated her, intubated her, and placed her on a ventilator.
Despite the severity of her condition, her transfer to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was reportedly delayed due to a lack of available beds.
She was not moved to the ICU until around 3:00 p.m., and tragically, she suffered cardiac arrest and died at 5:41 p.m.
Following an internal case review, Mungai stated that the complications Elizabeth experienced were “neither predictable nor preventable.”
However, Elizabeth’s family strongly disputes this conclusion, pointing to what they believe was negligence by the hospital.
Her husband, Benson Kinyanjui, said his wife was in good health when they arrived at the hospital on Good Friday.
He criticized the delayed emergency response, questioning why it took nearly two hours for an ambulance to transfer her to the ICU.
“For someone who is not breathing, it took two hours? Two hours?” he said during an interview with NTV.
Elizabeth’s mother, Susan Wanjiku, also voiced her frustration, demanding accountability and justice.
“They had taped my daughter’s eyes, and she had bitten her tongue. It was black. I will bury my daughter, but no one else should die like this,” she said.
CEC Mungai acknowledged the hospital’s failure to communicate promptly with the family during the critical hours.
“We recognize and deeply regret the delay in informing the family following the surgery,” she said.
The incident has sparked public concern, with Elizabeth’s family calling for a thorough investigation and systemic reforms to prevent similar tragedies.
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