Counties to share health experts to address shortage
Kisii Governor James Ongwae makes his remarks during a media briefing in Kisumu on March 23, 2017. He said a plan that will see counties share health specialists is afoot. PHOTO | ONDARI OGEGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- According to the plan, every county would share the specialists they have such as dermatologists and oncologists.
Governors from 13 counties that make up the Lake Region Economic Bloc have initiated a plan that will see the devolved units share medical specialists to address shortage.
The counties are Kisumu, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisii, Migori, Nyamira, Siaya, Vihiga, Bungoma, Busia, Bomet, Trans Nzoia and Kericho.
According to the plan, every county would share the specialists they have such as dermatologists and oncologists.
“If we have a skin specialist in Kisii, for instance, we should be able to share with others. If the person is not moving then it would be done by local telemedicine because in all the counties, we have improved diagnostic services,” said Kisii Governor James Ongwae.
Hospitals, according to Mr Ongwae, will specialise in treating different ailments and reduce patients in key referral hospitals.
The issues would be among health topics to be discussed in a health conference to be held at Kisii University starting next week on Wednesday.
Other issues to be tackled include high disease burden, inadequate human resource, extremely high prevalence rate for malaria and HIV and infant mortality rates.
“Counties do not have the funds to employ all the specialists but they can share,” he said.
