Boost for Kakamega as Ksh50M-Worth Of Drugs Disbursed

BY WAKHUNGU ANDANJE

Residents of Kakamega have been salvaged from the impending lack of drugs syndrome after the county disbursed drugs and medical supplies worth Ksh.50Million.

The consignment which was flagged off in Malava sub county will be delivered to all the 181 health facilities across the 12 sub counties within the county.

While officiating the launch, the Kakamega county governor Fernandez Barasa issued a stern warning to those health officials involved in drugs and other medical supplies racketeering that they will face the harsh hand of the law.

Barasa revealed that reports of drugs being sneaked out from public clinics and sold to private health facilities was rampant and many cases have been reported to his office.

"We are aware that we have some health officials who collaborates with private clinics and chemists where they also serve or are the owners by proxy and steal our supplies to stock their affiliated facilities and refer patients to those facilities to purchase the prescribed drugs. We will be doing our impromptu searches and if we find any private facility stocking our drugs and other supplies, they will together with the health official who sold them face the full force of the law.” he warned.

At the same time Barasa cautioned that there should be no shortage of drugs in these level two and three health facilities as the county has resolved to be stocking them every after three month.

He said the launch was purposely meant to sensitize the public that we have supplied and stocked each dispensary in their respective wards across the county hence they should be not be told to purchase drugs outside their health facilities.

He further asked the residents to raise alarm if they find out that the county drugs are being peddled in private facilities.

“Please my good people to assist me manage our health facilities well, I urge you to report to any county office any wrong dealings in our hospitals and those rogue medical officials involved in any form of malpractice as far as drugs and other medical supplies is concerned please report to me, as we are committed to streamline the health sector to benefit all our residents through public coffers funds” said Barasa.

He also urged the residents to register for Taifa care (SHA) as it was now working and catering for their medical needs.

“We have been receiving requests of over Ksh.5Million waiver from patients who are unable to settle their medical bills seeking our assistance, but with them being registered on social health authority scheme, they will have their bills settled between 60 to 70%.

He requested the locals not to be polarized with the SHA propaganda being peddled around by some individuals and instead register for the service since we are being deducted monies to cater for the common Mwananchi health cover.

He called on the health officials and community health to make SHA registration a key necessity for all patients visiting the facilities to ensure all people are registered.

The 12 sub counties level 2 and 3 health facilities to benefit from the supplies includes, Malava 25, Lugari16, Ikolomani13, Navakholo12, Shinyalu19, Lurambi19, Mumias East 12, Mumias West 9, Khwisero 15 and Matungu 11.

The governor continued to drum support for his Barasa care meant to assist expectant mothers have a safe and convenient delivery and postnatal effective care.

He observed that his care was up and running and expectant mothers should register mothers to benefit from the foundation that was giving out Ksh.12,000 to the mothers antenatal to postnatal period spread at Ksh.2,000 per stage.

He said the monies was meant to boast nutrition of both the baby and mother during the lactation period.

He highlighted that the construction of more health facilities has already been advertised across the county and soon works will commence with Malava having Mahusi in Butali Chegulo ward, and Shikutse dispensary in West Kabras being set up at a tune of Ksh.14Million.

On the selection of the Malava municipality board the advertisement of the members will be underway and this will transform the sub county to next level considering that the county public service board (CPSB) has been constituted.

He adhered to the Mugai Shirugu ward Mca Peter Wanami to reinstate the transferred Malava surgeon and pediatrician who had been transferred from the Malava level 4 facility.

The county chief unveiled plans to register the 4,250 volunteer health promoters VHP’s on SHA cover as an appreciation to their continued good work in health matters at the grass root level, saying this will enable them be able to stay healthy and fit to offer service to the public.

On the Malava dairy plant, he assured that the investor to manage and operationalize the milk plant had been identified will commence works in few coming months.

Responding on the construction of early childhood development education (ECDE) within the county, Barasa called on the contractors to ensure that construction of classes is complete the end of June this year to allow learning and directed the Mca’s to oversight the projects I their various wards.

The leadership will continue to support its county polytechnics as part of their education and training priorities.

Citing the looming bursary impasse between the national and county governments, he disclosed that they will continue to push for the county bursary allocation to support vulnerable students besides the constituency one.

Kakamega Governor Fernandez Barasa in green displaying boxes of drugs before the launch.

“Through the courts, the controller of budget Margaret Nyakang’o, we were allowed to only disburse this year’s bursary, before the funds being attached to the (NG-CDF) starting next year but we are pushing that counties are also allowed some allocations for the same to assist bright needy students that the national government constituency funds cannot reach in some way or another” he stated. 

He advised those university joining students to embrace Ksh.40Million county and Access Kenya scholarship partnership programme by applying for the funds.

As the counties finance committee chairman, he has blasted Mps for being selfish and self-driven for blocking the release of Ksh.10.5Billion road maintenance levy despite having the capacity and powers to pass the bill.

“Parliamentarians should respect the constitution of the republic of Kenya and stop being selfish and unmindful of Kenyans and agree to pass and release the funs to bolster devolution across the counties, since we are the ones at the grass root level and hence blamed for the many bad states of our roads, let them have the national road levy and we have the county one, this cake is big enough for both national and county governments to share let them not amass every penny even those supposed to be for us, counties too have roads to repair and maintain.

He too took a swipe at the national treasury for their laxity in releasing the shareable revenue for the 47 counties amounting to approximately Ksh94Million pointing out that there has been no allocation since February affecting many projects within the counties.

"Contractors within the counties have downed their tools following failure by counties to pay them for the last four months and this is affecting operations and smooth running of our counties in terms of service delivery " he pointed out.