EACC should get to the root cause of problems at Health ministry

The transfer of Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri from the Ministry of Health to the Lands ministry early this year was perhaps meant to cool down simmering tension between him and Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu. While responding to a parliamentary probe on alleged missing funds at the ministry, Dr Mailu had told the House team it was difficult to work with Dr Muraguri.

Incidentally, the PS was not taking instructions or directions from the CS. His attitude had also been cited as the major cause of the three-month doctors’ strike, starting December 2016, that paralysed operations in Government hospitals.

But lost in the growing political excitement surrounding the August 8 elections is the earlier alleged loss of some Sh5 billion from Afya House. That has now been brought back into the limelight by the decision of the United States government to suspend aid to the ministry on account of rampant corruption.

It is a safe bet that the US government, with the resources it has at its disposal, must have carried out a thorough investigation to arrive at that decision. Kenyans should be worried, especially with almost everything else going haywire in the medical sector.

Doctors and nurses are still complaining of poor pay, delayed salaries and lack of medical equipment and supplies. It is common for patients in Government hospitals to be given prescriptions to purchase medicines from private pharmacies, most of which, incidentally, are run by the very same doctors who write the prescriptions.

We cannot pretend all is well at the Health ministry for there are pointers to malpractice and negligence. After the reported loss of Sh5 billion, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) had all the reasons to swing into action, but have they?

More often than not, EACC only appears to act when there is public pressure but even then, nothing much comes out of any investigations. Eliud Wabukhala promised action against the corrupt. That is yet to be seen. He needs to get to the root of the problem at Afya House.