Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisely Rotich has started a tour across health facilities in the county in a bid to transform healthcare as outlined in his pre-election manifesto.
The governor is promising to fast-track the drugs provision in the health units.
Speaking on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, during an inspection courtesy call to Kamwosor sub-county hospital in Keiyo South Sub County, Rotich outlined various issues that need to be addressed to fix the county’s health system.
“Most of our health facilities across the county lack sufficient drugs, we are committed to increasing drugs supply and solving the problem once and for all. We are in talks with our worthy partners and relevant government agencies to solve this problem,” he explained.
Further, the governor has promised to address the drugs shortage issue by establishing an automated drugs management system in all major health units across the county to check on accountability and relevance.
“We need to have a real-time record on how drugs are issued in our health facilities. We are putting up an elaborate monitoring system that will also help us establish the relevance of drugs in different parts of the county according to prevailing health challenges in given areas,” he stated.
He also assured health workers in the county of promptness in payment of salaries and other allowances, singling out motivation among health staff as a key driver to a prosperous health system.
“As we are waiting for a capacity to hire more health workers, the ones in place, although inadequate, need to be renumerated in time and also taken through capacity building programs,” he said.
Struggling health system
During his gubernatorial campaigns, governor Rotich, on several occasions, decried the county’s struggling health system, promising to transform the situation once elected into office.
And the governor has now said he is determined to make Iten County Referral Hospital, the county’s largest health facility, the last and the best resort for people seeking specialized healthcare in the county.
“I am going to re-institutionalize the county referral hospital and make it a semi-autonomous unit, run by a Chief Executive Officer who will be answerable to the office of the governor. By doing this, we will be able to effectively improve services at a facility we depend on,” mentioned Rotich.
Elgeyo Marakwet has a total of 129 health centres spread across its four sub-counties.
WELL DONE. KEEP IT UP GAVANA