Kilifi County Government sets aside Sh2 billion for health services

Malindi,

Thursday, September 14, 2023

KNA by Emmanuel Masha/Cheryl Otieno

Kilifi County Government will this financial year spend Sh2 billion in the County’s health sector, Governor Gideon Mung’aro said Wednesday.

 Of this, Sh650 million will be used to purchase medical drugs to ensure all health facilities in the County are properly stocked with essential drugs, he said.

 The Governor said this at the Malindi Sub County Hospital where he commissioned a modern ambulance, a modern kitchen, two renovated and fully equipped wards as well as a civil servants’ clinic.

He also received a Sh20 million mobile clinic donation from the Aga Khan Health Services and commissioned the Kilifi County Satellite Blood Transfusion Centre.

The mobile clinic will be used to cover areas not served by health facilities while the blood transfusion centre would act as a blood bank for all health facilities in the County, he said and urged residents to voluntarily donate blood. 

The Governor said his administration was committed to improving healthcare in the County, noting that since assuming office, his administration had spent Sh344 million to carry out renovation works and procure medical equipment for various health facilities.

“This past week, we have commissioned the Marafa and Mtwapa Sub County Hospitals with a total of 192 beds, and surgical operation theatres,” he said adding, “All the equipment we have bought and the renovations we have carried out has cost us Sh344 since we came into office.”

The Governor said his administration had since coming into office bought medical drugs worth Sh323 million, making it the number one county to buy medical supplies from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA). 

He said his administration had acquired two special machines to be used at the Kilifi County Referral Hospital and the Malindi Sub County Hospital to handle diabetic patients.

Mung’aro said his Government had started the process of acquiring and using modern technology in the health sector’s health management system, noting that health workers were being trained on the Electronic Records Management System.

“This system will make it easy to manage patients as once their records are captured, they will not have to have their records taken again whenever they visit that facility and any other within the County as the system will be interlinked,” he said.

He announced that his government would soon start giving community health workers a stipend once a bill that is being processed at the Kilifi County Assembly becomes law.

County Executive Member for Health Peter Mwarogo said health services in the County had not been very effective due to inadequate staff but noted that the County government had allocated funds to his department to recruit more staff.

The Medical Director at the Aga Khan Health Services Mr. Sam Owino said his organization would partner with the County government to provide health services to the hard-to-reach population within the devolved unit. 

Courtesy; KNA