City health centres almost empty as patients keep off
Nairobi County Health executive Bernard Muia. He has said Mbagathi hospital has received Sh500 million for construction of modern laboratory from the global fund. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Dr Muia called on residents to seek treatment from the health centres instead of staying at home.
- He said that the health centres are well-equipped and drugs worth 268 million have been supplied to them.
- At the same time, the county official called on doctors to end their strike.
Dispensaries and health centres run by clinical officers in Nairobi County are currently underutilised as very few patients are visiting them due to the confusion created by the doctors’ strike.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday at City Hall, county Health executive Bernard Muia said that the level two and three hospitals are underutilised due to what he said is wrong perception that they have been closed due to lack of doctors.
The health centres are normally ran by clinical officers and nurses and offer 80 per cent of healthcare services in the city.
“The number of patients in dispensaries and health centres has gone down by 30 per cent since the strike began as residents are underutilising the services being offered because of the perception that doctors are on strike,” said Dr Muia.
He singled out Plainview Dispensary, Kenya Railways Training [health centre] in South B and police line dispensaries as “ghost dispensaries” since have shunned them completely.
OPERATE 24 HOURS
He said that the health centres operate for 24 hours.
Dr Muia called on residents to seek treatment from the health centres instead of staying at home which could lead to complications forcing them to go for special treatment in referral hospitals.
“Most of the people in the city have a perception that only Kenyatta (National) Hospital offers services not knowing that they can get treatment early from our health centres,” said Dr Muia.
He said that the health centres are well-equipped and drugs worth 268 million have been supplied to them to curb any shortage.
At the same time, the county official called on doctors to end their strike saying that even after they get the money they are demanding, they will not reverse the deaths that occurred while they were away.
He added the situation in the city is not that bad as most there are many private and faith-based hospitals offering services.
He said no patients have died in the city as a result of the ongoing doctors’ strike.
