Savula links break-in at hospital to cartels targeting fund

The Kakamega government has linked the break in at the county general hospital to cartels targeting to profiteer from the recently launched facility improvement fund.

The office of the medical superintendent was broken into on Sunday night and computers carted away and CCTV cameras vandalised by unknown people.

Deputy governor Ayub Savula and county health services executive Dr Bernard Wesonga said the break-in was the work of cartels at the Level 5 facility.

“From my suspicion, I link cartels to the break-in because money to buy everything for the hospital is there following the launch of facility improvement fund recently and they are positioning themselves to profiteer,” he said.

Savula said the hospital was operating normally contrary to reports that it had been closed. 

Wesonga said the theft at the hospital had not affected service delivery. 

He said the information that had been stored in the stolen computer had been backed up elsewhere.

He said interests develop in areas where purchase of goods and services is taking place and cartels start forming.

“We have put in place systems to ensure these funds we are ring-fencing are used for the benefit of the public and that cartels do not access them,” he said.

“We are in the process of acquiring a Health Information and Procurement System that is going to assist in guarding against activities by cartels,” he added.

He said Dr Babra Murilla has been appointed new medical superintendent in acting capacity pending recruitment of a substantial one.

He ruled out possibilities of consultants at the facility frustrating patients to divert patients to their hospitals in town, adding that private hospitals were expensive and the decision of which hospital one wants to be treated in lies with the client.

Specialists at the hospital last week threatened to withdraw services at the obstetrics and Gynaecology unit for lack of essential supplies.

Savula met the consultants at the hospital on Monday at Diamond Rock hotel to iron out their issues and agreed to work.