Kitui's Health department has been given a budgetary boost of Sh100 million to its Sh3.3 billion allocation for 2019-20 financial year.
The additional allocation, according to the chairman of the county assembly's Health committee Philip Nguli will health the department to address the crises it is steeped in, including drug shortages and food for patients.
The assembly on Wednesday responded favourably to Governor Charity Ngilu’s request for additional funding for the department from the Sh11.3 billion budget.
The motion to adjust and adopt the report by the Budget and Appropriations Committee was moved by the chairman Boniface Kilaa Kasina during a special plenary session chaired by speaker George Ndotto.
Members of the assembly and the speaker wore masks during the debate, an indication of how seriously they treat the threat of the coronavirus. Some standing orders had to be waived for the motion tabled, moved, debated and passed in a day.
“Mr Speaker we cannot wait for another day to debate this document as we are operating at a time when we cannot predict about tomorrow,” leader of majority Peter Kilonzo said.
The assembly sittings had been suspended due to Covid-19 threat.
Kisina commended the department of Health for the safety precautions it had undertaken including the provision of protective gears to MCAs.
The media and the public were not allowed in the gallery during the deliberations.
But even as Kisina pushed the approval for his committee's report, he regretted that there was no additional allocation for drugs in the Supplementary Budget. He said the Sh100 million funding sought was for operations of Level IV hospitals.
“The budget is addressing emerging issues like locusts, Covid-19 and other emergencies. It is also addressing health crisis in the county,” Nguli said.
Deputy speaker Kasee Musya was concerned that there was insufficient allocation of funds to deal with Covid-19.
He asked the chair to liaise with the Department of Health on the management of Covid-19.
- mwaniki fm
