Parliamentary committee on health will meet stakeholders Thursday in effort of seeking a solution on the ongoing crisis facing the health sector.
The chairperson of the committee Sabina Chege has said they will meet officials from the Ministry of Health, representatives of county governments and officials drawn from various unions of health workers.
Speaking in Ngutu Primary school in Mathioya on Tuesday, Chege observed that there was need for urgent solutions to ensure effective service delivery in public hospitals.
Currently, clinical officers countrywide have downed their tools citing numerous challenges including lack of payment, inadequate protection equipment among others.
The Murang’a woman representative observed that the blame game should end and a quick solution found as many sick Kenyans are suffering since they cannot access health care.
“It’s regrettable that Kenyans cannot access medical care due to blame game. We want to listen to all partners and find out where the problem is as I also appeal to health officers who have proceeded with the strike to consider poor Kenyans and accord negotiations time,” said Chege.
She said some county governments have not yet enrolled to NHIF doctors who were recently employed on contract to help the country during this time of covid-19.
“There should be a way of assisting the doctors and nurses employed to assist in combating the pandemic be registered NHIF which caters for civil servants,” she noted.
Chege spoke when her foundation in partnership with M-Pesa Foundation donated a dignity package to boys and girls drawn from several schools in Mathioya Sub County.
The chairperson observed that there are funds meant to tackle Covid-19 pandemic and that money can be used to deal with challenges doctors are facing.
“In supplementary budget we factored more funds in the health sector and I am sure the money is yet to be exhausted and so as a committee we want to establish where the problem lies,” added Chege.
KEMSA, she said, has some personal protection equipment which should be released to health officers who are attending covid-19 patients.
“Once we meet, we will address insurance cover of health workers, salaries and also how the PPEs held by KEMSA will be released. I want to warn politicians against playing politics on health matters as Kenyans are suffering,” she added.
Meanwhile, Chege lauded the programme being spearheaded by her foundation to mentor young people saying it would curb teenage pregnancies.
The programme, dubbed Eagle’s Movement being implemented by Sabina Chege Foundation and M-Pesa Foundation is targeting to mentor more than 250, 00 teens from Murang’a county.
The teenagers will also be provided with a dignity package which contains sanitary towels, soap and pairs of inner wears to help boys and girls maintain hygiene.
“We have launched the programme here in Mathioya and we will be moving to other sub counties to ensure our girls have adequate sanitary towels and boys have inner wears and washing detergents,” said the women rep.
By Bernard Munyao
