Eva Nyambura
The Nairobi Hospital management has been accused of negligence for employing Former Head of Support Services, George Oogo Otieno who emerging details indicate he is a ‘quack’ who forged documents and gave false information to gain employment.
Between 2015 and 2017, Kahawa Tungu has learnt, Mr Otieno worked as the Head of Support Services at the facility without genuine documents from an institution of higher learning.
A source privy to the information says that the Mechanical Engineer did not graduate from the University of Nairobi in the year 2005.
Before he was employed, Mr Otieno presented a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering certificate purportedly from the University of Nairobi. The degree certificate, serial number 6542 was indicated as having been issued on March 11, 2005.
The Hospital, did not however exercise due diligence, nor did the management verify whether his certificates were authentic or not before handing him a sensitive department that requires the highest level of qualification.
During his tenure, the hospital recorded the highest number of professional negligence cases. It is reported that some patients either walked in or drove into the hospital for routine check-ups but either ended up in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), or were simply admitted in worse conditions for days or months.
In 2017, the hospital is said to have written to the University of Nairobi to verify the authenticity of Mr Otieno’s certificate which the university confirmed was fake and was never issued on 11, March 2005.
On March 3, 2017 the hospital suspended Mr Otieno and asked him to explain how he obtained his certificate which the University had disowned.
“You are hereby suspended with pay from duty with immediate effect until further notice. During the suspension, you are prohibited from coming to the Hospital except for medical attention at the staff clinic,” a suspension letter signed by the hospital’s CEO Gordon Otieno Odundo reads in part.
The accused was required to explain the university’s findings no later than 4.00 p.m on 2, March 2017 but did not show up.
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“In addition you have been absent without official leave today 3rd March 2017 which is tantamount to gross misconduct,” his suspension letter further states.
A few days later, Kahawa Tungu has established, he was quietly dismissed from employment. However, no criminal proceedings were instituted against Mr Otieno. Neither was the matter reported to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)
The hospital did not recover the pay since that would have required them to go to court.
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