Busia County Director of Medical Services Dr. Janerose Ambuchi has urged the local residents to support the executive in pushing for more funds for the health sector.
Speaking during a public participation forum at Busia ATC on Tuesday, Ambuchi said that according to the County Fiscal Strategy Paper Draft for 2021/2022, the sector was allocated Sh. 2.4 billion.
She further explained that the health sector alone requires Sh. 7 billion hence the need to partner with other organizations for support.
“I can stand here and tell you that Busia is the only county with the highest number of partners helping in support of the health sector,” she said citing AMPATH as one of the partners helping the county in dealing with HIV.
The official disclosed that the partners support the health sector to the tune of Sh. 3.2 billion.
“We therefore need another Sh. 3.8 billion to enable us to transact business effectively and efficiently,” she said adding that the proposed budget estimate for 2021/2022 fiscal year was Sh. 3.7 billion.
Ambuchi pointed out that the proposed budget has allocated only Sh. 2.4 billion urging the local residents to support the department in seeking for the deficit from the executive.
She explained that inadequacy in funding was hampering provision of health services adding that that public outcry about lack of drugs and shortage of food for patients within the health institutions have been occasioned by the low budget
“We also accept that we have a low project implementation rate because most contractors have low capacity and therefore are not able to complete projects in time,” she said.
The official urged members of the public to come out and endorse projects before their implementation.
Participants who made their contributions at the forum supported the call to increase funding for the health sector with a view to cushion patients from purchasing drugs from private pharmacists.
They also stated that there is a need to focus on Primary and preventive health care with a view to achieve Universal healthcare.
Busia Deputy Governor Moses Mulomi who presided over the forum thanked members of the public for their input which he said will help improve the budget.
“I also appreciate the issues raised by members of the public including need for project completion, quality of work, capacity of contractors among others,” he said.
The two day exercise which kicked off on Tuesday aims at subjecting the County Fiscal Strategy Paper for the financial year 2021/2022 and Medium Term Expenditure Framework to public participation.
by Salome Alwanda
