THE SICK HOSPITAL

A canoe does not know who is king. When it turns, everyone gets wet. Moi university hospital is under siege. For the last one week yours truly has been visiting the hospital not just for ‘status’ reasons, but also health(y) reasons. However the status of operations in the said dispensary are at a dismal level. Comrades complaining of negligence and lack of aptitude displayed by the so distinguished personnel in white lab coats. One might be forgiven to assume that they are dealing with middle level quacks and charlatans. Speaking to the Diva, Yegon Emmanuel a 2nd year student in the School of Human Resource Development apparently visited the dispensary only to be told he has no history of medical problems and therefore he is ‘clean’. However, as his condition deteriorated, he went to Maranatha Clinic in Kesses where he was diagnosed with Malaria. Even before the dust could settle on Yegon’s case, another student who doesn’t want to be named has been paying frequent visits to the hospital. Peter*, a second year student in the School of Arts and Social Sciences was actually given pain killers, something which most comrades argue has been the norm in the under-fire hospital. It is only after his condition worsened that he went back to the dispensary and ‘surprisingly’ got diagnosed with malaria as well. Terence, a first year student in the School of Education was apparently given painkillers and wished a quick recovery even as his case looked pathetic. Consultation room 14 is ever busy, however the results are not seen at all. Paracetamol is always issued out, whether you have malaria, TB, common cold, flu etc…as long as you are under pain, always expect a paracetamol. I am no doctor but real doctors will tell you that every disease is unique, however the similarities. So why is there such high level of quackery in Moi University dispensary? Why do they treat the symptoms and forget the disease? Are the services they offer free? Are they not taken care of in the school fees? While it is true that the number of students has increased sporadically to almost thrice its capacity, it’s also true that value for your money has to be achieved. After all, one cannot live by the riverside and wash his hands with spit. Questions are being asked. Questions demand answers. Is Moi University hospital able to deal with the high student-doctor ratio? Forget the fact that it takes you almost one hour to find your file, even after automating the online hostel booking system, why is it so hard to automate the dispensary? Why does the management major in the minor and minor on the major? One laboratory to serve 9000 students is preposterous! Especially when that laboratory is smaller than the rooms in Hostel Hakumatt! It remains to be seen how the management will respond. In the meantime, all comrades are urged not to fall sick…to avoid (mis)diagnosation. After all, if the alligator tells you the crocodile is sick, won’t you believe it?