Doctors oppose plan to set up bakery at Rift Valley General Hospital

The Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital. [File, Standard]

A doctors' union has criticised the establishment of Sh3 million bakery at the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital.

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU) South Rift official Devji Atellah said the project is good but management should prioritise urgent issues that affect the issuance of quality health care.

“It is good to have a bakery to bake bread of high quality, but there are more pressing to be addressed," said Dr Atellah.

The bakery project to bake bread to be consumed by patients was factored under the 2018/19 budget. 

Atellah said the Level Five facility is facing acute shortage of doctors, nurses and other health givers yet to be addressed and a bakery was not a priority.

“Without adequate human resource, patients shall be placed on a long waiting list; an issue that highly contributes to congestion," he said.

The doctor said about 100 doctors have resigned in the last two years, with about 60 having gone back to school to specialise.

The Level Five Hospital with bed occupancy of about 800 inpatients and 2,000 outpatients is manned by about 20 doctors, a number that is less according to the doctor.

The doctors he said work at the general wards, theatres and newly established units including Margaret Kenyatta Mother-Baby Wing, cardiology, oncology and renal unit.

According to the Human Resource for Health (HRH) report of 2017, 7 a doctor in Nakuru County serves 100,000 patients as compared to 12 doctors serving the same number nationally.

“On several occasions, we have asked the county to employ more doctors but there is no clear explanation on why there is a delay. How does the county expect patients to receive health care without service providers?” he posed.

Atellah said following the shortage, doctors work for more than 168 hours per week against World Health Organization recommendation of 40 hours.

“There are no leave and off days for doctors an issue that affects the quality of service delivery. Let such be addressed, ease congestion, then we can talk of other initiatives to have the hospital be self-sustaining,” he said.

However, the hospital in-charge Dr Joseph Mburu said the initiative is aimed at cost-cutting.

“Bakery is a viable project whose establishment was after due procurement process was followed," he said.

At least 400 loaves of bread are supplied at the hospital at a cost of Sh20, 000, money that will reduce to Sh10,000 with the establishment of the bakery.

A piece of bread is locally sold at Sh50.

Two people have been contracted on a casual basis to run the bakery.

At least 2,000 inpatients are attended to each day at the hospital with bed occupancy of between 800 and 900 inpatients.

 Health Executive Kariuki Gichuki on his part too welcomed the project and said plans are underway to employ more health workers.

“Having a bakery is a good project that makes the hospital self-reliant. We are too working on a plan to employ health workers for smooth service delivery,” he said.

The hospital serves patients from Nakuru and neighbouring counties including Bomet, Kericho, Samburu, Baringo, Nyandarua and Laikipia among others.

The high number of referrals received are of orthopaedic and fractures, and ICU. The hospital has 6 ICU beds installed with ventilators and blood test analyzers.

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