• Residents people were dying yet the county government was less concerned about their plight.
• MCAs expressed disappointment at what was being witnessed in the city's health sector.
Image: FAITH MATETE
Image: FAITH MATETE
Kisumu residents have protested against the poor services in the health facilities in the county.
Residents who spoke to the Star said there were no drugs, food for ward patients and reagents for tests at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kisumu County Hospital and Ahero Subcounty Hospital.
They said that people were dying yet the county government was less concerned about their plight.
“The health services in Kisumu county are very pathetic yet the county government is unbothered. This function should be transferred to the national government,” Mary Akoth said.
Mark Okumu said that despite the sorry state of the sector, top health officers and the assembly's budget committee members were bonding in Madeya, Siaya county.
Currently, medics are on a go-slow over salary delay. The county has started paying off areas using cheques.
The governor's press boss Aloice Ager said there was no basis for the claims that the health sector was in a poor state.
He said the challenges being experienced were because of the Universal Healthcare pilot.
“The county has made efforts to try and streamline the operations of the sector. At times reagents might go down due to delay by Kemsa,” Ager said.
Yesterday, the Kisumu assembly debated the status of health services.
The MCAs expressed disappointment at what was being witnessed in the city's health sector.
They wondered why the county health sector was in crisis despite getting huge departmental allocation in the annual budget.
The ward reps complained of a shortage of drugs, shortage food for patients, persistent health workers' strike and inadequate staffing.
Some MCAs proposed for the health sector to be transferred to the national government to improve services.
MCA Roy Samo said that the governor had failed the county and he should be impeached because the health challenges.
“The time has come, Madam Speaker, that the governor needs to go home,” he said.
But the MCAs demanded that he should apologise and withdraw his statement on the governor's impeachment.
“I have said and I will not mince my words on this. The health sector cannot be joked with. The leadership of this county has failed us,” Samo said.
Kisumu West MCA Paul Okwiri said that the health issue was a serious matter that needs more consideration.
“I will tell the governor the truth because he is my friend, that health is a problem in Kisumu county,” Okwiri said.
Market Milimani MCA Seth Kanga said that the status of the health sector needed urgent attention.
South East Nyakach MCA Johnson Guya said health sector has failed to offer critical services to the people of Kisumu.
Guya said most of the patients in Kisumu are now seeking health services in the neighbouring counties like Homa Bay, Kericho and Vihiga.
The MCAs formed an ad-hoc committee of nine members to visit the facilities across the county, document the status of the sector in the county.
The team is to report back to the assembly on Thursday next week.
(edited by O. Owino)