By Betty Luke
The pathetic state of public hospitals in Meru County has landed top health officials in trouble after the Public Accounts Investment Committee (PAIC) demanded to know how funds directed towards hospitals’ improvement were being utilized.
The committee said several hospitals in the county had no enough facilities citing a case of Nyambene Sub-county hospital that has no male ward, despite being among the biggest public facilities in the area.
It is alleged that the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) and Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) stopped supplying drugs and other medical equipment to the county facilities due to delayed payment for the medical supplies.
The committee that is chaired by Julius Mbijiwe, the Mwanganthia ward MCA, last Thursday summoned Meru County Health Executive Misheck Mutuma to shed light on the concerns that continue to deny residents right to quality services.
The MCAs also demanded to know whether the health officials are part of the Facility Improvement Fund’s signatories, to which Mr Mutuma replied in negative.
The committee said it was unfortunate that the FIF funds that are usually collected from patients for aiding in facilities improvement, were not being used for the required purpose.
Many facilities in the county have been referring patients to the Meru Teaching and Referral hospital due to lack of personnel which continues to burden the county’s main hospital.
Hospitals offering inpatient services are faced with a crisis over lack of enough food for the patients with some forced to keep patients hungry in the wards since food suppliers have halted supply due to delayed payments.
Patients have been visiting the public health facilities for prescription and later source the drugs from private facilities.
