The Health summit is to be held in the backdrop of most counties being affected by medics going on strike,lack of drugs and poor remuneration in most of the government hospitals.
What measures has the government put in place to solve the menace which is downgrading this sector? or this sector was not supposed to be devolved like other services devolved to the county level.
People are having a hard time accessing quality and cheap medical services at county level hospitals due to conflicts between the medical practitioner and county governments.
Joseph aged 56 from Bungoma town said he had expectations when health was devolved but later he was disappointed by the state of medical services that are being offered at the county level.
”When you walk into county health centers, you will be shocked to find that you are being issued with painkillers only and the remaining drugs you are instructed to buy from the nearest pharmacy some of which are owned by the pharmacist serving you at the county health centers,” He noted.
He further said that private hospitals offer quality services but are expensive for persons from humble backgrounds,”Private hospitals offer quality services and they have sufficient drugs but it is expensive for locals to acquire them due to poverty.”
He wondered why private hospitals are capable of streamlining their health services,unlike government hospitals who have enough resources and power but are facing challenges.
“My expectation was to see government hospitals offering its services without constraints,we have failed to understand if the central government is delaying to fund health services at county level or is it that the county government has failed to manage the health sector?”
Jane aged 45 a vegetable vendor in Bungoma town lost her son because she was unable to buy expensive drugs that the doctor had prescribe for her son.”My son died because I was not able to afford the drugs the doctor had recommended for my son,”she said.
She challenged both the central government and county government to collaborate and equip health facilities with enough drugs for the betterment of Kenyans.
