Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi has announced key reforms towards fixing the ailing health care sector in the county.
Speaking during a presser outside his Kabarnet office on Thursday, Cheboi said he has involved all stakeholders to address the sector which for a long time has been faced with myriad of challenges like shortage of drugs, critical medical equipment and poor health care service.
The Baringo governor accompanied by county assembly health committee led by Barwessa ward MCA Josephat Lokorio, noted that concerns in the essential sector has even scared patients who no longer trust the county health facilities and instead visit clinics, hospitals within and outside the county which in turn is an expensive affair.
Mr Cheboi stated that he has instituted concrete measures to equip all Level 3 hospitals across the county with requisite equipment and personnel to reduce the number of referrals to Kabarnet County Referral Hospital or Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Eldoret, for simple tests and diagnose.
He reiterated that what the health sector in the county requires is a committed workforce and machines.
“We want to ensure that most of the laboratories in most of the level 3 hospitals are properly equipped so that it is not necessary for people coming from remote areas or far flanked areas to travel to the county headquarters for just a simple test that could have been done near where they live,” he said.
The County boss stated that they will need to also rationalise medical staff in the county to ensure adequate personnel can be deployed to new health facilities which have been built but not operational due to lack of manpower.
Governor Cheboi noted that part of the transformations in the health department will be to develop a centralised system of management so that drugs purchased are directly utilised by the intended patients.
“A lot of our dispensaries have recorded losses because we have drugs that stay on the shelves for long, until they expire and are destroyed,” he explained.
He said that during his tenure, he shall ensure that health care services are better managed for the common good of all residents from all the seven sub counties.
By Benson Kelio and Joshua Kibet
