MCAs push for Jaramogi Hospital be converted to parastatal

Members of the Kisumu County Assembly now want Governor Anyang Nyong’o’s administration to convert the region’s largest referral facility Jaramogi Teaching and Referral Hospital to a parastatal status.

The ward reps claim that the conversion will enable the facility to attract a Sh10 billion funding each financial year to enhance its operations to satisfy the health needs of the hundreds of patients it serves daily.

The developments comes at a time when counties are rushing against time to prepare their facilities and staff to handle any suspected case of corona virus (Covid-19) after the country confirmed its first case last week.

In a report prepared by an Ad Hoc committee constituted by the county assembly to investigate the state of health care in Kisumu, the ward reps want the county government to establish special purpose accounts for health facilities.

“The governor should use his powers to convert JOOTRH like Kenyatta National Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital to a parastatal status to help attract government funding,” read their report.

Should the proposals be implemented, the move will see the county government address some of the woes that has affected its healthcare systems.

On Friday last week, Governor Anyang Nyong’o announced that his administration had set up isolation wards and had prepared health staff to handle any emergency cases in the wake of the corona virus spread.