Medics want counties out in running of regional hospitals

Doctors have launched a fresh bid for the transfer of top county referral hospitals back to the national government.

In a petition to Parliament, the doctors say although health is a devolved function they want 11 top hospitals to be under the national government because they serve more than one county.

The 11 regional referral hospitals are in Garissa, Machakos, Embu, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nyeri, Kisii, Meru, Thika and Kakamega.

“Each of these hospitals serves more than one county thus application of the term regional referral hospitals.

“Only the host county covers the costs of the Level 5 hospital,” says the petition.

“Nyeri level five hospital, for example, deals with patients from Murang'a and Embu yet the neighboring counties are not expected to assist in the maintenance of the hospital.”

Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) reckons the counties are also ill-equipped to shepherd the health sector and reverse declining services in public hospitals.

In 2013, health functions were devolved to the 47 counties, which are bound by the Constitution to implement health policies developed at the national level, including free maternity services.

But the hospitals, especially those in far-flung hospitals lack specialised doctors and equipment, forcing patients to travel to Nairobi or abroad for treatment.

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The national government is in charge of the three referral hospitals — Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital.

The petition further proposes that the funds the Treasury allocates should be directly channelled to the hospitals rather than the county governments.

“Every health centre should have its own board that should be allowed to spend the money they collect through cost-sharing,” said Priscilla Nyokabi of Boresha Maisha — which is also behind the petition.

She said the funds ought to be ring-fenced and protected at the county level since the money is often channelled to other county projects besides what it was intended for.

She said some counties have also entrenched tribalism and discourage health workers from other regions from working in their hospitals.

KMPDU chairman Samuel Oroko said the proposal to also have a standardisation of the management of human resources for health across all counties would deal with issues that precipitate strikes.

“The formation of a health service commission will deal with the shortage of staff and other human resources issues we have witnessed in the county hospitals,” he said.