Outcry over Poor Health Services in Embu

Embu

Thursday, August 10, 2023

KNA By: Samuel Waititu

Residents of Mbondoni Location in Mwea Sub-County have raised concern over the sorry state of health services provision in the region and asked the Embu County government to address their plight.

The residents who spoke to KNA said they were forced to walk for long distances to seek health services at Mbondoni Dispensary only to find on many occasions that the center had run out of drugs and ill-equipped staff.

Speaking on Wednesday during a public participation forum on how health facilities were operating organized by Action Aid, the locals said they have to travel to neighboring Machakos or Kirinyaga counties which comes at a cost that many cannot meet owing to poverty levels in the area.

“The only well-equipped hospital near us is in Tala, Machakos County about 100 kilometers away that is out of reach to many of us,” said resident Haroun Mbotu.

Another resident, James Kithombo, said they use motorbikes, bicycles or donkey carts to ferry patients to the dispensary and should the case call for referral, they have to shoulder the cost as the facility has no ambulance.

Expectant mothers have also not been spared as they are forced to be assisted by village midwives for lack of maternal health care services.

They said the maternity wing that was being set up at the dispensary was not completed forcing expectant mothers to result in home births or travel long distances to secure the services.

“We usually use the services of one woman who is a midwife and now old age has caught up with her and is unable to perform the duties effectively,” said Veronica Nthambi.

Another resident, Zipporah Wanjiru accused the County Government of supplying non-essential drugs, saying the dispensary has become a dumping site for drugs not in common use.

They called on Governor Cecily Mbarire to move with speed and address their plight to alleviate further suffering.

Courtesy ; K. N. A