Audit reveals sorry state of hospitals

By Michael Wesonga

Uasin Gishu County: An audit of the four district hospitals in Uasin Gishu County has revealed a sorry state of affairs. The report revealed a wide infrastructural disparity with their status as district hospitals, forcing patients to flood the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH).

Medical County Director of Health Dr Jackson Songa has called for speedy upgrades of the facilities to align them to their Level Four-facility status.

Dr Songa noted that all the district hospitals were unequipped and lacked basic amenities like theatre and X-ray services despite being categorised as Level Four.

“It is, therefore, necessary to carry out immediate assessments of all the facilities to establish how some of these amenities can be incorporated,” he said.

The facilities in question are the Uasin Gishu District Hospital, Huruma District Hospital, Ziwa Sub-District Hospital and Burnt Forest Health Centre in Moiben, Kapseret, Soy and Kesses constituencies respectively.

“My office will liaise closely with the county government to address all other challenges ailing the industry in this county,” he added.

The doctor said lack of the facilities was not necessarily dangerous but it does mount unnecessary pressure on MTRH, which should concentrate exclusively on handling referral services.

MTRH Director Dr John Kibosia has on numerous occasions complained of congestion at the facility aggravated by lack of fully functional district hospitals.

Devolved service

Health is one of the core functions previously held by the national government that has been devolved to the counties in the new constitutional dispensation amid an outcry from the council of governors of delays in disbursing monies for their operation.

Asked about plans for the health sector in his county, Governor Jackson Mandago said he had received a strategic plan for the handling of health matters from Dr Songa and referred the matter back to him.

Dr Songa said the strategy was to establish fully functional health centres in all the 30 wards with equipment and staff to serve the affected populations.