13 Lake Region counties to share health specialists
Kisii Governor James Ongwae speaks during a media briefing in Kisumu on March 23, 2017. Governors, through the Lake Region Economic Bloc, a conglomerate of 13 counties, are organising the inaugural Lake Region International Health Conference to be held on March 29 and 30 at Kisii University. PHOTO | ONDARI OGEGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The Lake Region Economic Bloc brings together 13 counties from Nyanza, Western and parts of the Rift Valley.
- According to the plan, every county will share the specialists they have within the bloc.
- If what the counties have proposed is implemented, it will reduce congestion in referral hospitals.
Governors from 13 counties in the Lake Region have initiated a plan that will see them share medical specialists as a way of addressing the shortage of health staff.
The idea is the brainchild of the Lake Region Economic Bloc which brings together 13 counties from Nyanza, Western and parts of the Rift Valley.
The counties include Kisumu, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisii, Migori, Nyamira, Siaya, Vihiga, Bungoma and Busia. The others are Bomet, Trans Nzoia and Kericho.
According to the plan, every county will share the specialists they have within the bloc.
Many hospitals in the region lack skin, cancer, ENT and dental specialists.
“For instance if we have a specialist in Kisii in a given area, we should be able to share (them) within the region. If the person is not moving then it would be done by local telemedicine because in all the counties we have improved diagnostic services and telemedicine is now a reality,” said Mr James Ongwae, the Kisii governor.
“The hospitals will specialise in treating different ailments in a move aimed at improving healthcare access and reducing patient burden in key referral institutions,” he added.
HEALTH CONFERENCE
This would be among other health topics to be discussed in an upcoming health conference to be held at Kisii University for two days starting next week Wednesday.
Other issues to be discussed include high diseases burden, limited number of health facilities, inadequate human resource for health facilities, extremely high prevalence rate of malaria and HIV and infant mortality rates.
“Counties do not have the funds to employ all the specialists but with the system, they would have employed specialists in all fields without being a burden to a particular county,” Mr Ongwae said, adding that the system will ensure critical ailments are adequately dealt with.
Mr Ongwae, who is also the chairman of the health pillar in the bloc, said the conference will provide a platform for ideas on how to improve the health sector.
ADDRESS SHORTAGE
Earlier, World Bank Health Adviser Khama Rogo proposed that the counties share specialists rather than employing them in order to address shortage and reduce costs.
Dr Rogo said if what the counties have proposed is implemented, it will reduce congestion in referral hospitals.
“They are moving in the right direction. It is a very wise idea,” he said.
He added that healthcare is going to be affordable to all because residents will be making trips to neighbouring counties instead of Nairobi or Eldoret which have referral hospitals.
Under the devolved system of government, several level five hospitals in the region have now attained referral status.
These include hospitals in Kisii, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori and Bomet counties.
