Kakamega hospital risks closure over drugs shortage

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What you need to know:

  • Governor Wycliffe Oparanya says National Treasury was yet to release funds despite the President signing the County Allocation of Revenue Amendment Bill into law in December last year.
  • The hospital chairman wrote to the county warning of a crisis as the facility runs out of medicine.

The Kakamega County General Hospital could be closed due to shortage of medicine.

Governor Wycliffe Oparanya on Sunday warned that services at the key hospital could be disrupted due to lack of funds to buy drugs.

SHORTAGE

The county chief added that many other county government services could be disrupted due to the delay by the national government to release funds.

Mr Oparanya told the Nation that the chairman of the County General Hospital had contacted him and warned of a looming crisis if the shortage drugs persisted.

He said county governments had not received money for the last three months and were being forced to borrow from commercial banks to pay salaries and sustain key services.

"We have not been able to get funds from the national government for the last three months since November last year and now we are in February 2018. I got a warning from the chairman of the Kakamega County General Hospital that there are no drugs and if the situation persists, then we are likely to close the facility," said Mr Oparanya.

The county chief said the hospital could end up referring patients to private facilities and level 4 hospitals in county.

FUNDS

In December last year, Governors demanded the immediate release of cash by the National Treasury to devolved units after President Uhuru Kenyatta signed into law the County Allocation of Revenue Amendment Bill.

The move by the President effectively gave Treasury the green light to disburse at least Sh77.4 billion to the 47 counties.

The governors said they had to seek loans from commercial banks to meet their needs, including payment of workers' salaries and the purchase of other essentials, including drugs for hospitals.