Busia County Health Officers led by Deputy Governor (DG), who is County Executive Member for Health, Arthur Odera, have assessed the situation at the Kochola Teso North Sub-County Hospital after a viral video online showed Kolanya Boys High School students lying on the floor unattended to.
The Deputy Governor and Health CEC said that all 32 students admitted at the facility were attended to and released to go home after being treated and the viral video had a political motive to paint the county in a bad state.
“Last week, Kolanya Boys were involved in an accident after attending the drama festival in Samia Sub-county. We received 30 students and two teachers who were treated of minor injuries and those who needed specialised treatment were referred to Bungoma County Referral Hospital,” noted Odera.
“I want to debunk claims that the facility lacked enough bed capacity to accommodate the patients. The video circulating on social media had political motive and I want to condemn that in strongest terms possible,” he stressed.
The DG sentiment comes a week after the facility came to limelight after scrutiny over poor services and regular strikes by medical practitioners in the county.
Either Odera urged the county leadership to consider setting up staff quarters in all Level Four hospitals in the county as a precautionary measure in case of any eventuality in the future.
“We are going to advise the Execute to construct a staff quarter to accommodate critical and specialised personnel who can be called upon at any time in case of emergencies,” Odera noted.
On drugs and equipment, the DG warned propagandists that the county has done adequate supply of the most essential drugs and reagents, noting that at least four Level Fore hospitals have X-ray machines.
“We have enough supply in terms of drugs and other reagents. We have well-equipped laboratories in five Level Four hospitals, where four of them have working X-ray machines and well-trained personnel,” he said.
The DG warned those interested in political positions to indulge in decent politics and shun cheap propaganda, which paints the county negatively.
“We must embrace some decorum in the way we politicise things in this county. Even those funding medics to have regular strikes, we will soon call you out and shame you in the public,” Odera noted.
Teso North Sub-county Medical Superintendent, Evans Sumbeiywo, said that the facility handled the situations well and all the injured boys were well received and treated amicably. He said that the facility has the capacity and manpower to handle any kind of emergency.
“Kocholia has what it takes to handle any emergency. We have different specialists and equipment to manage any emergency or outbreak,” said Sumbeiywo.
“Those circulating fake videos, I want to advise you to visit the hospital. Also, those videos showing people on floor were very selective and that was at our customer care desk, not ward as it has been put on social media,” he added.
The sentiment was echoed by a Teso North Medical Health Officer of Health, Catherine Inome, who said that the health officers responded adequately to the incident and there was no loss of lives or even broken limbs on the victims.
“We should give credit to medical staff for how they handled that case. Remember some were recalled even from leave to manage the situation and indeed, we managed,” noted Inome.
Meanwhile, the DG urged Busia residents to continue registering with SHA to benefit from free medical services in case of any emergency.
By Absalom Namwalo
