Kapenguria Member of Parliament Samuel Moroto has decried the shortage of health workers in most health facilities in remote areas of West Pokot County.
The legislator urged the Ministry of Health to increase the number of health workers in the area citing that many patients visiting health centers are suffering.
Moroto insisted that many health centers in the County don’t have adequate personnel making it hard for residents to get treatment.
“We have received many complaints from residents and it is time for leaders and the government to take responsibility. This is a collective responsibility and we need to come up with the solution to save our people. We are even ready to cheap in with the CDF funds,” he said.
The MP said that residents in remote areas walk many kilometers away to seek medical services, added to the fact that the facilities need more workers. “Nurses work for twenty four hours daily without resting. Some are over worked and they do not sleep as they are being woken up after every three minutes,” he said.
Speaking at Siyoi area, Moroto said that some health centers receive more than one hundred patients in a day hence it is difficult to attend to all of them. “We have a serious health workers shortage and this is not politics. We need more money in the Counties to help improve health services,” he stated.
He urged the national government to increase the amount allocated to the health sector to improve health services to Kenyans. “The national government should allocate enough funds to the health sector to ensure we build more hospitals and equip them to serve our people better.”
However, the West Pokot Health and Sanitation CEC Jackson Yaralima said they have employed more than 400 new health workers. “We are trying our best to improve health services in the County,” said Yaralima.
