Waiguru blames senior medical officers for mess in health sector

What you need to know:

  • On Monday, KMPDU threatened to withdraw their members from Kerugoya Referral Hospital insisting that the facility and other health facilities were filthy and their members will not continue working in unhygienic condition.

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru yesterday blamed senior medical officials for the current crisis facing the health sector and warned that they will face disciplinary action.

She singled out five officials in the management of Kerugoya Referral Hospital accusing them of being used by her political enemies to paralyse operations in hospitals and portray her government as inefficient.

'SABOTAGE'

Speaking to the press after touring the hospital, Ms Waiguru claimed that politicians eyeing her seat in 2022 were using the officials to mess up the sector.

"Investigations by the taskforce which I had formed has revealed sabotage and we shall deal ruthlessly with those responsible," she said.

She continued: “Whatever is happening is all about 2022 politics. Politicians are working with my officers to ruin the sector. Why not wait and give me a chance to deliver on my mandate."

On Monday, Kenya Medical Pharmacist and Dentist Union (KMPDU) threatened to withdraw their members from Kerugoya Referral Hospital insisting that the facility and other health facilities were filthy and their members will not continue working in unhygienic condition.

"All the health facilities are in a mess. Kimbimbi Sub-County Hospital has even been invaded by snakes and a watchmen based there was bitten by one of them.

Another snake was found in a theatre by a doctor and killed. The situation is bad," said the Central region KMPDU secretary, Dr Gor Goody.

GHOST WORKERS

The county boss however denied that the crisis was caused by the sacking of 436 casual workers by her government of which KMPDU gave her 72 hours to reinstate.

"All those casuals are not required at all to make the sector operate properly. In fact, 50 per cent of the laid off casuals are ghost workers," she said.

She dismissed as untrue allegations by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacist and Dentist Union that four nurses had contracted hepatitis B and diarrhoea for working in an unhygienic condition at Kerugoya Referral Hospital.

However she admitted that the sacked casuals had not been paid their four months salary arrears but promised they will get their dues soon.

"We had no budget for the casuals but they will get what is rightfully theirs once we streamline the sector," she said adding that a chief executive officer will be hired to oversee the smooth operations of the crucial sector to end the suffering of patients.