A probe by the Senate in Meru and Isiolo counties has revealed that Nyambene Sub-county hospital medical equipment that was leased four years ago remain un-functional due to insufficient electricity supply.
The Senate Ad-hoc Committee formed to investigate the leasing of medical equipment revealed that Isiolo and Meru counties remit sh.200 million as annual payment for medical equipment despite the equipment being unused.
The Committee comprised of Isiolo Senator, Fatuma Dullo, the Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula and their Meru counterpart, Mithika Lintuli among others.
The committee found out that none of the equipment was working in Garbatula Sub County Hospital while in Nyambene Sub County Hospital, the equipment lay non-functioning due to lack of three phase electricity supply that would be adequate to run the machines.
The Meru Level Five Hospital CT-Scan Machines and ICU machines are yet to be delivered due to unfinished buildings to house them.
Speaking at Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital, Ms. Dullo said most equipment at Garbatula were nonfunctional.
“We visited Isiolo and Garbatula hospitals first. For Garbatula, it is a mess with most equipment not working. Equipment are in the box and the theatre is not working. What we were told before we were formed as a Committee is the true picture of what we found in Garbatula,” said Ms. Dullo.
She added that Isiolo residents could also not get some services from Isiolo Referral Hospital as some machines were not functional too.
The Isiolo Senator who chaired the Committee added that Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital CT-scan and ICU equipment are yet to be picked from the supplier.
“We are told the CT-Scan and ICU equipment are lying idle in the supplier’s store, I hope we are going to establish that payment is not going on because if that is so it is going to be very unfortunate,” said Dullo.
Wetang’ula said Meru County levied Sh.200 million despite having not received the ICU and CT-Scan machine.
In a scrutiny, Wetang’ula queried how Nyambene Hospital managed to receive equipment without adequate electricity power to run them,blaming it on lack of enough inspection before the machines were leased.
“The challenge of nonfunctional equipment seems to be going all through and this shows not sufficient thought was put in before this process started,” said Wetang’ula.
The Meru Senator, Mithika Linturi asked the Meru Health Management to ensure that Nyambene Sub County Hospital received a three phase power connection for the machines to function.
In his defence, the Meru County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Health, Misheck Mutuma said most of Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital equipment are functional.
However, Mutuma termed the ongoing construction of ICU building as a challenge towards receiving the equipment.
Admitting to lack of adequate power connectivity at Nyambene hospital, Mutuma said the county is working towards installing a three phase power connectivity.
By Kamanja Maeria
