@robertomollo3
Homa Woman Representative Gladys Wanga has devised a new campaign style which involves signing campaign pledges with professionals before a lawyer.
Wanga who is vying for the governor's seat presented her pledges to health workers and co-signed them with the medics before High Court advocate Samuel Nyauke.
The pledges were issued during the Homa Bay Health Summit, a gathering of health workers from public health facilities in all eight subcounties.
Wanga and her running mate Oyugi Magwanga attended the summit.
The pledges are employing health workers currently working on contract, paying salaries and remitting statutory deductions promptly, and improving the stipend of community health volunteers.
Others are equipping facilities with drug and non-pharmaceuticals, honouring collective bargaining agreements, and schemes of service among others.
On Friday, Wanga said she is going to implement the pledges between the first 100 days and six months in office if elected.
Signing the agreements before the lawyer was meant to enhance commitment to implementing them.
“My agenda is to fight issues bedevilling the health sector in Homa Bay. I commit to fulfilling the agreement we have signed with health workers,” Wanga said.
She promised to fight corruption in the county public service board which has impeded the employment of health workers on merit.
Earlier, health workers complained of working under poor conditions.
This includes salary delay, understaffing, and lack of protective gear and drugs among other problems.
Rangwe medical officer Kevin Osuri who presented the medics’ grievances said the situation humiliates them before their counterparts in Kisii Level Six Hospital when they refer patients from Homa Bay County Hospital.
“It has become our habit and our colleagues in Kisii are tired with our patients because they keep asking why we don’t go to Homa Bay hospitals,” Osuri said.
The salary delay has caused persistent health workers’ strikes after almost every two months.
Magwanga said the health sector will be prioritised if elected.
He said the county cannot achieve the desired economic growth if its people are sick.
“A healthy county is a wealthy county. We will ensure our people get the desired healthcare,” Magwanga said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
