Kirinyaga County 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 refuse the temptation of taking away 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
COG chair asked member of the public to remain vigilant 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.
The Council of Governors (COG) Chair 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 that her county has installed a Hospital
Management Information System (HMIS) 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 village located in Mwea constituency over the years have had to
travel more than seven kilometers to access the nearest facilities such as
Kimbimbi Hospital.
She said that the facility will serve more than 10,000 beneficiaries from
about nine villages among them Matandara, Redsoil and Mathangauta
villages who would walk for many kilometers to get healthcare services.
They will access consultation, outpatient services, anti-natal and post-natal
services, and Child Welfare Clinic, family planning, immunization,
laboratory and pharmacy services.
“This is among the 20 dispensaries that we have lined up for
operationalizing after completing them. Those already operationalized
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 utilized 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 that towards the achievement of universal health coverage,
her administration has invested heavily in infrastructural development of
various health facilities, citing the new Kerugoya Level Five Hospital that
she said is set to be opened in a few weeks.
She said that the hospital will offer the specialized services which the
county residents have always referred to facilities such as Kenyatta
National Referral Hospital. She added that the county is also upgrading
Kianyaga and Kimbimbi Hospitals from Level 3 to Level 4 facilities.
