Hospital Social Workers diverse roles in a changing healthcare environment

PHOTO | STEVE NDUATI

Ms. Phyllis Mureithi, Senior Social worker, working on psychosocial assessments at the Obys/Gynae Level one Ward.

By Barbara Otieno and Elly Ouna

It is 9 a.m. Phyllis Mureithi has completed her ward rounds and has added six new patients as candidates for credit approval and discharge.

Ms. Mureithi, a senior Social Worker at Kenyatta National Hospital handles six to nine credit cases per week. On top of the social-economic assessments on admission (which should be done within 72 hours as the service delivery charter states), she has several psychosocial assessments pending for patients at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Obs/Gynae) ward.

She notes; “Early hospital social work intervention with patients in need correlates with shorter stays.”

She also extends her efforts in assisting other hospital patients and medical teams in navigating their way through the discharge planning process at the hospital.

The social worker narrates some of the complex cases she manages that go beyond her mandate.

Just fifty meters away from her office is the Gender-Based Violence center, where a 14-year old girl who was sexually assaulted at gunpoint in Mathare has just been admitted.

At the hospital GBV ward, Ms Mureithi responds to the needs of patients who are confronted with the daily threat and reality of sexual and gender-based violence.

Her gut and instincts; together with the psychosocial assessment and intervention done by the psychologists at the Obys/Gynae ward make her learn that the patient is also being sexually abused at home. To address the escalating burden of GBV cases at KNH, Phyllis often acts as a liaison between such patients and the Department of Children Services, advocating for timely after-hospital care and confidentiality for the patient. She feels the patient should be placed in a children’s home to limit the exposure of further harm.

Social work involvement is essential in planning for discharge as patients’ needs are identified early and appropriate referrals for services are coordinated and executed on time.

After-hospital care for all patients is exhaustively linked to discharge planning. Social workers forge better linkages between hospital services and the community. “An average of four out of 30* admitted patients have had social work involvement in their discharge process, “she added.

Ms. Mureithi runs through some of the special challenges she faces daily as a hospital social worker at KNH. From abandoned elderly patients to placement of newborn babies, to even unknown foreigners with limited English proficiency.

An estimated 80% of social work cases at the hospital are for patients with low health literacy and an intensive follow-up of such cases can at times cause mental and physical burnout. Listening to her talk and describe the intricacies and the variety of roles she plays as a social worker at KNH, there is the uniqueness that distinguishes social work from other healthcare professions.

No matter the case presented, her main goal is to ensure that the patients’ needs post-discharge are met to enable their best recovery, once they get home. Social work is taking a more visible role in discharge planning and alleviating health literacy levels to improve health outcomes at KNH.

The writers are on internship at the Marketing & Communication department at Kenyatta National Hospital.