Embu county hospitals are in dire need of nurses and subordinate staff, according to the Health committee.
The committee is also concerned that the health department is management by 'a cartel' which frustrates the chief executive officer of Embu Level 5 Hospital.
The problem starts at Level 5 Teaching and Referral Hospital down to other facilities.
Committee chairman Harrison Muturi and members Harrison Mwaluko, John Mbaka, Patrick Rugendo and Edith Nyaga said a busy ward in some hospitals is attended by a single nurse.
Muturi regretted that in some facilities, maternity wards are unutilised due to staff shortage yet they were built to ensure closer nursing service to expectant mothers.
Mbaka said patients are being referred to the level 5 hospital over issues which can be attended to at the lower level facilities.
The committee told the county government to give priority to staffing and purchase of drugs during budgetary allocations.
Governor Martin Wambora was asked to ensure health facilities are managed professionally without political interference.
The committee chairman commended the acting CEO of the referral hospital for "managing it effectively despite sabotage by the cartels and ensuring that collected revenue is not stolen".
Mwaruko said some junior health workers in departments like X-ray have been sending patients to private clinics for services yet public facilities had sophisticated equipment, thus denying the hospital revenue "and blame the acting CEO so that he can be fired".
He said, “The cartel which is interested in making money through contracts from the level 5 hospital is also after the CEC and the chief officer for blocking their way.”
But Health executive Jamleck Muturi said the staff shortage is not as acute as it is being portrayed.
He acknowledged that the department is starved of funds and as such, it is unable to replace staff who retire or resign.
He said the health facilities are managed properly and drugs are replenished promptly.
