County seeks approval of Sh142m supplementary budget for health
What you need to know:
- The document seen by the Nation indicates that the department of health will get the lion’s share of the additional funding as the executive is seeking an extra Sh30 million for salaries.
- A spot check by the Nation in Nakuru established that patients at several sub-county hospitals were being asked to buy drugs and dressing items elsewhere.
The county government is asking the assembly to approve Sh142 million in its supplementary budget to cater for the health sector and salaries in the current financial year.
House Budget Committee chairman Moses Ndung’u confirmed on Wednesday that the amount is part of the Sh374 million supplementary budget that was forwarded to the committee by the executive last week.
“We are going to sit before the end of this week to approve it or make amendments where necessary,” said Mr Ndung’u.
The document seen by the Nation indicates that the department of health will get the lion’s share of the additional funding as the executive is seeking an extra Sh30 million for salaries.
The additional funds for health workers comes at a time when county hospitals are faced with a shortage of staff. The workers have previously downed their tools due to delayed payment and lack of promotions.
Besides the additional funds for salaries, the health department is also seeking Sh42 million to buy drugs and another Sh29 million for dressing and other non–pharmaceutical items.
A spot check by the Nation in Nakuru established that patients at several sub-county hospitals were being asked to buy drugs and dressing items elsewhere.
UNIFORMS
The executive wants an additional Sh2 million to buy uniforms, and clothing for patients.
The shortage of patient clothing is acute at a number of hospitals in the county. Save for pregnant mothers and patients going for operations, the rest of the patients admitted to these hospitals wear civilian clothes while undergoing treatment.
In the current estimates, the county had not budgeted for purchasing laboratory equipment but in the supplementary budget, the executive is proposing Sh6 million for that purpose.
The executive wants the House to approve an additional Sh5 million for electricity. It is a new proposal coming at a time when Kenya Power has disconnected supply at the Naivasha Sub-County offices because the county owes Sh800,000 in unpaid bills.
The daily subsistence allowance in the current financial year is set to rise to Sh4.3 million if the House approves an additional funding of Sh800,000.
PROCURE DRUGS
The executive plans to engage more casual labourers and it has requested the House to give it an additional Sh2 million. This will increase the annual spending on casual workers to Sh54 million.
Other key highlights in the supplementary budget include an additional Sh6 million in food and rations, Sh4 million to buy bedding and linen, Sh5.8 million to maintain buildings and Sh400,000 for patient travelling expenses.
In a report tabled in the assembly in August last, the Health Services Committee recommended, among other things, an increase in the annual allocation of funds to the health department for essential drugs and for placing timely orders to the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency.
The committee had investigated health workers' grievances after they staged numerous strikes.
The county has a total of 385 health facilities, including clinics, according to records from the committee.
