Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has given a stern warning to medics with private clinics against stealing drugs from public hospitals.
The governor asked health practitioners in the county to serve the public with dedication and resist the temptation of taking drugs meant for patients for sale in their private facilities.
Waiguru said her administration will not have mercy on those found stealing drugs from government medical facilities.
Speaking after opening Matandara Dispensary in Mwea constituency, the Council of Governors chairperson asked member of the public to remain vigilante and report any case of theft of drugs and other medical utilities in hospitals.
The governor asked health practitioners to choose whether they want to run private clinics or to remain in public hospitals.
“If we get complaints from the public and we establish that indeed you are selling drugs from our hospitals, we will withdraw your license and close down your clinic,” the governor warned.
Waiguru said her administration will be seeking collaboration with other counties in order to block medics sacked from one county for stealing drugs from being employed in any other county.
At the same time, Waiguru said her county has installed a Hospital Management Information System that will improve the management of medical supplies as well as performance management.
She said the system will help curtail theft of drugs as well as help in addressing issue of drug shortage by providing real- time information on stock out.
“There will be no more paper work in our medical facilities. We have rolled out the system at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital and soon we are extending it to all our medical facilities. No drugs or services will be offered to patients without going through the system,” she added.
On the new Matandara dispensary, the governor noted that residents of the far-flung villages in Mwea constituency over the years have had to travel more than seven kilometres to access the nearest facilities such as Kimbimbi Hospital.
She said the facility will serve more than 10,000 residents from about nine villages among them Matandara, Redsoil and Mathangauta villages who would walk for many kilometres to get healthcare services.
They will access consultation, outpatient services, anti-natal and post-natal services, and Child Welfare Clinic, family planning, immunisation, laboratory and pharmacy services.
This is among the 20 dispensaries that we have lined up for operationalising after completing them. Those already operationalised include Kiamwathi, Joshua Mbai, Kianjiru, Kiaumbui and Umoja.
The governor noted that with primary healthcare services close by, residents will now save time and money that can now be utilised on other priority issues.
“With good primary healthcare at our dispensaries, we will also reduce morbidity and mortality within the catchment areas due to early detection and diagnosis of ailments and subsequent treatment or referral.”
Waiguru said towards the achievement of universal health coverage, her administration has invested heavily in infrastructural development of various health facilities, citing the new Kerugoya Level 5 Hospital that she said is set to be opened in a few weeks.
She said the hospital will offer the specialised services which the county residents have always been referred to facilities such as Kenyatta National Hospital.
She added that the county is also upgrading Kianyaga and Kimbimbi Hospitals from Level 3 to Level 4 facilities.
-Edited by SKanyara
