I have been to several private and Mission hospitals and they are struggling to break-even for lack of both in patients and out patients.
One popular hospital that has bed capacity of 120 and has always had 100 plus at any given time has been having in patients fluctuating between 10 to 20 since March. Out patients were between 400 to 500 daily but now even getting 50 is a miracle.
On Thursday I sat down with a General Practitioner and I asked him to explain to me what is really happening to the sick. His reply was blunt and surprising. He told me most illnesses are driven by entertainment industry; Bars and restaurants. That is where illnesses emanate from. Cholera,Typhoid,Amoeba,food poisoning and myriad others are mostly from unhygienic hotels. Accidents, Robberies,Syphilis, Gonorrhea, HIV, Herpes etc start after bars.
Many Level 4 hospitals had wards for bodaboda accident victims. Lack of money and Curfew has made consumption of alcohol to plummet and consequently the accidents. Those wards are almost empty.The rest,that are lifestyle illnesses e.g Diabetes and Hypertension can be managed at home and only severe cases need hospitalization.
Health industry is reliant on entertainment industry. As long as entertainment is muzzled, health will continue suffering massive loses. Actually some hospitals are laying off Clinical Officers, Nurses and Doctors. A strange phenomenon. And that is where the our dilemma starts; should Uhuru lift the curfew? the trade offs are now very clear, the government should put more emphasis on hotels and restaurants, Hygiene standards for such outlets should be much higher and also control the development of bars especially within residential estates.
Other sectors like Justice System are recording a similar decline, there is decline in crimes reported, the rate is lowest ever although those relating to domestic violence are on the rise. However Police should also maintain high standards of discipline as they have been reported of extorting the public through illegal declarations.
