Devolution blamed for falling quality standards in hospitals
Patients seated on one bed being attended at overcrowded Marigat District hospital on July 10, 2014. Health workers have said devolution of health services had slowed improvements to hospitals. PHOTO/CHEBOITE KIGEN
What you need to know:
- They said devolution of health services had slowed improvements to hospitals.
- In Vihiga county, hospitals have run out of malaria drugs.
- In Busia some health centres have inadequate wards and male and female patients share.
Health workers in four counties in western Kenya have complained that most hospitals in the region are poorly equipped.
They said devolution of health services had slowed improvements to hospitals.
Kericho’s Kapkatet District Hospital medical superintendent Kenneth Sigilai said devolution was done in a hurry without putting proper systems being in place.
Drawing rights
He said previously hospitals received drugs every two months but they now got them twice a year.
“Before devolution, we had drawing rights with the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency where hospitals placed orders for the drugs they required and the National Treasury made payments directly to them,” Dr Sigilai said.
“But now that we directly transact with Kemsa, hospitals have to wait for county governments to raise money before we can get supplies,” he said.
“The bureaucracy to obtain money from the county is too much. We have no emergency money left, thanks to the new Public Finance Management Act,” said Dr Sigilai.
In Vihiga county, hospitals have run out of malaria drugs.
County health executive Zilpah Kageha said the malaria drug Artemether-lumefantrine is out of stock.
“Patients are suffering because drugs have run out,” she said.
In Busia, a report by the county Health and Sanitation committee says that some health centres have inadequate wards and male and female patients share.
The report says that patients at Malanga dispensary in Bukhayo Central ward answer the call of nature in a nearby bush because there are no toilets.
The report asks how the health centre was built without toilets.
Drugs shortage
“If our facilities do not have basic requirements like toilets, do they have the ability to offer quality services to our people?” asked health committee chairman Ishmael Orodi.
In Kisumu County, however, health director Ojwang Lusi denied claims that there was a shortage of drugs at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.
“There is no shortage of drugs. We are not aware of any patient who has been asked to go and buy drugs at the chemist,” he said.
