Nyeri Senator Ephraim Maina has decried the sad state of affairs in county hospitals.
Maina said there has been a severe shortage of drugs and other medical supplies. Though the problem has been in existence for some years, the senator said it has now reached an alarming level.
The county referral hospital, formerly Central Provincial General Hospital, is now a shadow of its former self, he said.
"The hospital staff is demoralised while there are no basic drugs or lab instruments and this situation should be addressed soonest possible," Maina said.
Maina, speaking to the media on Sunday, called on the county government to prioritise healthcare services over other projects, saying it has been getting its priorities wrong.
The senator questioned the logic of allocating Sh900 million for grading of roads to murram status when patients are suffering because of lack of drugs.
"Patients are being sent to private pharmacies to buy everything even when a simple operation is to be done," he said.
"Besides Covid-19, this is the worst situation that we have ever witnessed. Nyeri has sunk to the lowest level ever and people must wake up and say no to this. We must demand that the county government start giving services to the people. "
The senator urged the county government to focus on the essential needs of its people. He called for an audit to determine whether money meant for healthcare services has been misused.
Last week, scores of residents marched to the county referral hospital demanding better services.
Governor Mutahi Kahiga blamed the situation on the delayed release of devolved funds by the National Treasury. Kahiga, however, expressed hope that the Treasury will release funds to the county by the end of this month, hence they will be able to tackle the problem.
The governor said some supplies are to be delivered from this week. He said the county assembly passed the Nyeri County Health Services Fund Bill, 2021, which he assented to last month and will ensure hospitals retain 80 per cent of the money they collect.
The money will be used to run the facilities, while the remaining 20 per cent will be allocated to primary healthcare services. The county chief said the health law will improve the financial transactions and positions of county hospitals and enhance the smooth running of the medical facilities.
"This is intended to improve the health services within the county because the health facilities will do their procurement at that level," Kahiga said.
The National Council of Churches of Kenya also weighed in on the issue on Thursday, expressing concern about the shortage of drugs and other medical commodities in Nyeri hospitals. It warned that the situation was worsening.
According to NCCK county officials, the most vulnerable population is bearing the brunt of the shortage, citing the poor, people with disabilities and those who are mentally unstable.
They were led by the county NCCK coordinating committee chairman Simon Njoroge, secretary Moses Maina and vice chairman Joseph Njakai.
"We are deeply concerned that many users of public hospitals, particularly those suffering from non-communicable diseases such as mental health, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension, continue to face an unabated shortage of essential drugs and commodities," NCCK said in a statement.
As a result, the cost of quality healthcare services has increased, they lamented.
The clergymen said in some cases, patients have had to buy syringes to get services in health facilities. They said the poor are paying unbearable costs to stay alive, terming the situation a drawback in the war on NCDs.
Edited by F'Orieny