The Mandera county Assembly has passed the health service bill that will see common man incorporated into the running of health services in the region.
The bill that was passed on Monday with a two third majority of the MCAs will see gaps in the health system sealed off.
The Rhamu ward MCA, Qula Alio who tabled the bill while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the county Assembly session thanked the MCAs for supporting the bill.
In the bill residents will be incorporated in the running of the health services through formation of health boards ran by the people.
The level five hospitals will be equipped with enough drugs and scanning equipment with the Mandera Referral Hospital and Elwak Sub County Hospital to full-fledged level five status.
Emergency services will now be given to all without paying from both public and private health facilities. Failure to attend to emergencies will lead to a fine of Sh. 1 million or one-year imprisonment or even both.
The county government is expected within two years to roll out specialized treatment units in all the health facilities to breach the big gap between the rich and the poor.
The department of health should put up CT- scan machines, renal and mental units in the level five hospitals to minimize treatment costs as residents travel to search for specialized treatment.
The county has pumped much of its resources to the health department with 20 % of its budgetary allocation going to the health sector.
By Dickson Githaiga
