By Tobias Ogutu
There is nothing more frustrating than going to a hospital expecting emergency medical services, only to be told, “Sorry, there is nothing we can do; our system is down, please wait!” This situation can be traumatizing, especially when a patient dies while waiting for the hospital system to come back online. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in public hospitals in our country. At Kisumu Sub-County Hospital, such incidents are frequent since the facility migrated to a digital system in an attempt to curb corruption. Although this change was intended to solve internal problems, the lack of a manual backup system is adversely affecting patients in need of emergency medical care.
On October 28, 2025, Mary Okello lost her grandson at Kisumu Sub-County Hospital, commonly known as General Hospital. According to Mrs. Okello, she had health insurance coverage approved by the National Government (SHA) but was unable to access services because the hospital’s digital system failed. Mrs. Okello recounted how she spoke to doctors to treat her grandson, but everything came to a standstill because the hospital departments could not communicate due to the failed digital system.
The doctor submitted a laboratory request, but the information could not reach the lab technicians due to a system breakdown. However, the doctors refused to use the manual system, stating that it was against hospital policy. Mrs. Okello attempted several times to have her grandson treated using the manual system, but in every department she visited, the response was the same: “There is nothing we can do. The system will be back soon; please be patient.” Stranded, Mrs. Okello could do nothing but wait for the system to be restored, which took six hours. Unfortunately, the system came back online only after Mrs. Okello’s son had passed away.
The story of Mrs. Okello was confirmed to be true when I experienced a similar situation at the same hospital on November 15, 2025. I had a high fever and a persistent cough. To avoid a long queue, I woke up early and arrived at the hospital by 6 a.m. I went straight to register myself in the hospital system as a patient seeking treatment, but I was told to wait because the digital system was down. I waited for two hours, but the system had not been restored. Meanwhile, the doctors were just roaming around the compound under the pretense of adhering to hospital policy, while the sick were suffering in the waiting area.
I approached a doctor on duty to get his response, and he confirmed Mrs. Okello’s statement to be true: “Sorry, there is nothing we can do. It’s hospital policy. Just be patient; the system will pick your case soon.” The doctor responded. Indeed, the system processed my case after eight hours. From 6 a.m., I received treatment only at 2 p.m., by which time I had grown weak. Throughout this period, the staff at Kisumu Sub-County Hospital refused to use the manual system, citing adherence to hospital policy.
Many people have suffered and even lost their lives at Kisumu Sub-County Hospital due to system failures, with staff refusing to use the manual backup system. Therefore, we call on the Ministry of Health to intervene and urge the management of Kisumu Sub-County Hospital to prioritize patients’ lives over internal policy.
