A fresh row has erupted between Nandi Governor Stephen Sang and two MPs over poor health services.
Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter and Senator Samson Cherargei have accused Sang of failing to deliver, saying patients are suffering.
Deputy President William Ruto’s aide Emmanuel Talam also lashed out at Sang, accusing him of neglecting the county referral hospital.
“The hospital is just a death trap because we are losing patients through negligence and complete lack of services, even simple first aid,” Talam said.
He said the hospital has no capacity to serve as a referral facility as it lacks equipment and staff.
"We want to ask Sang to re-look into service delivery at the county referral hospital. It is not possible by whatever standards and definitions that we just have one doctor serving the whole facility," said Talam.
Keter, Cherargei and Talam spoke at Lelwak, Nandi Hills constituency, during the burial of Dominic Choge whose death the leaders blamed on negligence.
But Governor Sang dismissed the criticism, saying there is a tremendous improvement in services at Kapsabet County Referral Hospital and the other facilities.
"The reference is to one patient who had a heart attack at home and was brought to our hospital. The patient received attention in the facility but unfortunately, he succumbed to the heart attack," he said.
"We ask any families, leaders and residents with genuine concerns to raise with us to address them as we perfect our systems. We will continue to invest and advance the transformation agenda of our health sector."
Keter said there were many complaints about the poor state of health services in the county yet the governor was doing nothing.
“The governor is always visiting the hospital and taking a picture for public relations purposes yet he cannot see the suffering of patients,” Cherargei said.
Keter said the hospital should be revamped to serve residents better. “Patients in the immediate assessment unit are neither seen immediately nor assessed properly. This is a hospital where our people just die crying out for help that never comes,” Cherargei said.
The row over poor health services comes just days before DP William Ruto visits the county to flag off new ambulances bought by the county government.
