Healthcare takes CenterStage during the County Assembly Public Participation

Meru

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

KNA by Dickson Mwiti/Ngigi Magdalene

Healthcare took center stage during the Meru County assembly’s public participation in budget estimates for FY 2024/2025 held in Kamunde Hall Meru town, where the attendants including health professionals raised various concerns.

 The forum was led by Jacob Mwirigi, the chairperson of the Assembly’s budget committee, aiming to gather public views on Meru County’s budget allocation as required by the constitution of Kenya 2010.

 Medical professionals, members of the county assembly, community leaders, and concerned citizens, all said the healthcare in Meru County needs serious interventions to be impactful to the residents.

 Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) Meru Branch Secretary Moses Baiyena, criticized the reduction in funding for laboratory reagents from Sh8,371,167.96 to Sh8,000,000 in the proposed budget.

 He said the reduction means fewer people will be attended to in laboratories this year compared to the previous financial year which is unfortunate for the residents.

He also said there is inadequate medicine in hospitals, no promotion of health workers, and additional health workers, therefore overwhelming the ones at work without motivation.

 He said that in the proposed budget, there were funds to build and complete dispensaries and hospitals as well as buy hospital equipment at Sh56 million but there was nothing put in place for hiring or paying interns.

“The County government is building dispensaries all over without providing medicines and employing health professionals, therefore making those health facilities remain dormant like in Githongo, Timau, Muthaara and Kinoru maternity ward which is not functional at all,” said Mr Baiyena.

Mr Baiyena further put the county government in the spotlight adding that they had set aside Sh80million to buy two CT scans for Meru Teaching and Referral and Nyambene Sub County hospitals, saying that the allocation for a CT scan for the referral hospital was in good condition.

“This seems to be an ambiguous allocation since the CT scan at the referral hospital is in good condition. They should have therefore specified whether the machines were meant for Nyambene hospital which might require them,” said Mr Baiyena.

 Elias Mutuma, Secretary General of the Kenya Union of Pharmaceuticals Technologists (KNUPT), echoed Baiyena’s concerns adding that the proposed budget estimates did not show any allocation for equipping the cancer center for the financial year 2024/2025 while in the previous year, there was an allocation of Sh10 million.

“It is common knowledge that Meru is one of the leading counties in cancer cases. Given these we would have expected more funds to be allocated this financial year to boost the fight against the menace,” said Mr Mutuma.

 He also said that the Sh450,000 allocated for emergency and ambulance services never reaches them and that it forces patients to pay for ambulance fuel.

Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Meru County Branch Secretary General Mr Nesbit Mugendi, emphasized the need to hire more health providers saying that most health facilities are understaffed.

Former Municipality MCA Elias Murega wondered why the county government had allocated Sh400,000 and Sh1.5 million for Malaria and dewormers respectively whereas these are non-existent cases in Meru over the years, thus terming the allocation as a misstep.

Courtesy; KNA