Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomurukai has pledged to procure more ambulances and repair the grounded ones to improve healthcare service in the county.
The governor who promised to be a hands-on leader has already made impromptu tours to two health facilities including Lodwar county referral hospital and Kainuk Health Centre in Turkana South Sub County to assess the situation of the patients and service delivery.
“We will also streamline payment of suppliers that include those providing cleaning services and fuel is streamlined,” he said.
He regretted that some critical machines at the county referral hospital have never been serviced for the last six years.
Governor Lomorukai said that a county that receives over Sh12 billion from the exchequer with additional support from donors should guarantee its residents access to quality healthcare services at all public health facilities.
“The hospital is in a pathetic situation because in some wards patients are forced to sleep on beds that have no mattresses while others are in congested wards and are sleeping on the floor,” the county boss noted.
It was established that most health workers who were on duty had no access to required reagents, drugs and medical supplies due to lack of a clear budget for the hospital by top management.
“I will urgently meet with top officials in the health department so that services at all health facilities are improved in my first 100 days in office,” he said.
He said that his administration will set aside funds to establish a modern referral hospital on the already available 30 acres of land to reduce referrals outside the county.
Health workers appealed to the new administration to establish an emergency fund kitty for poor and vulnerable patients to reduce costly referral expenditure outside the county.
Security guards also said that part of the hospital is not fenced and thieves were taking advantage to access the facility at will and steal hospital beds, mattresses and patients’ clothes.
By Peter Gitonga
