By Aziza Abdullahi | Wajir Today | Thursday, May 21, 2026

The death of a pregnant woman in Baladul Amin has triggered public outrage in Wajir County, with residents accusing a local dispensary of neglect and severe staffing shortages after she was left without timely medical care.

The woman was brought to Baladul Amin Dispensary on Wednesday at around 9pm seeking emergency assistance, but residents said she was not attended to due to the absence of health workers at the facility.

“She was not attended to due to unavailability of health workers at the facility,” said Abdi Alasow Elmi a resident

In desperation, the woman was reportedly attended to by traditional birth attendants after arriving at the facility. She suffered from postpartum bleeding, a life-threatening complication, before being transferred to Griftu Hospital. However, she died shortly after arrival.

Residents who spoke to local media expressed anger and frustration, saying the situation at the dispensary reflected a long-standing crisis of service delivery and negligence.

“We transported her from Balatul Amin upto Giriftu hospital for emergency but unfortunately she died” Mr. Elmi said. “This is God case but we have a concern about the facility which is running without medical workers. One of the staff was transferred and the remaining one is on leave.”

He urged county authorities to intervene immediately, warning that the lives of mothers and newborns were at risk.

“We are asking the county government to intervene and do something about Baladul Amiin dispensary” he said.

Residents said the incident highlighted the fragile state of maternal healthcare services in the settlement, where shortages of medical personnel, equipment and emergency response services continue to endanger lives, particularly those of expectant mothers and newborns.

Another resident, identified as Kheir Elmi Ali, said the dispensary has been operating under poor conditions for years.

“This dispensary is 15 years old. It has not been functioning properly since. We request the government to equipt the dispensary to avoid occurrence of similar situation.”

The incident has renewed scrutiny of maternal healthcare services in Wajir County, a county that continues to record high maternal mortality rates.

According to the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), Wajir County is among 15 counties that account for more than 60% of maternal deaths in Kenya.

By the time of going to press, Wajir County Executive Committee Member (CEC) for Health Habiba Ali Maalim could not be reached for comments about the incident or the condition of Baladul Amin Dispensary.