Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has been impressed by the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital’s ultra-modern regional cancer treatment centre.
The facility offers comprehensive cancer treatment to patients across the six coastal counties.
It was developed through a partnership between the national and county governments as part of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Doctors at the cancer facility told Wanga during a benchmarking tour at the hospital that they are serving 100 cancer patients a day.
“We have learned a lot, and we are amazed by what we have seen here at the cancer centre as well as the numbers.
As the doctor was saying, these are patients who probably would have died of cancer because they couldn’t afford to go somewhere else, but you’re saving their lives here. There is nothing better than to be able to touch lives in that way,” said the Homa Bay governor.
At the same time, she lauded the Mombasa County Government for its efforts in NHIF registration targeting the needy while promising to roll out a similar programme in Homa Bay.
“I am very impressed by what I have seen and the good work the staff are doing. I want to thank them for their commitment to serving the people of Mombasa and the entire region. We have also seen what’s happening in the ICU,” said Wanga.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir took her Homa Bay counterpart on a guided tour of the biggest hospital in the coastal town.
“The one thing that we share is our people-centred nature and the drive to give the best to those who elected us,’’ she added. Mombasa, she noted, is a place to benchmark; “it’s an admiration of the rest of us.”
The two governors served together in the 12th Parliament and on the same National Assembly Departmental committees.
“Before we were sworn in, we pledged that we would be reaching out to each other once we become governors,” said Nassir, adding, “I have been to Homa Bay, where she accommodated and welcomed me.”
Last July, Nassir initiated the process of turning the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CPGH) into a fully-fledged county parastatal through the enactment of legislation.
The proposal, the governor said, was aimed at “preventing executive overreach into the management of health by putting in place a legal framework that guarantees the financial independence of Mombasa’s hospitals.”
This means that the terms of staff service can only improve; pensions will be secured and salaries paid on time, he added.
Moreover, this allowed the hospital to plan with certainty as we included mechanisms for ring-fencing funds generated at health facilities for use in the health sector,” said Nassir during a dialogue with the hospital staff.
The Coast General Hospital serves all six coastal counties, which the Governor said has put a strain on the sustainability of the facility because it serves a large population beyond the tax-collecting reach of Mombasa.
By Sadik Hassan
