Busia County is seeking Sh 6.7billion to to support healthcare in the county. Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong revealed the report and said the the county’s department of Health and Sanitation faces challenges of insufficient funding and staff shortage and needs support to operate optimally.
“These challenges are not only faced by my government but all county governments as a result of which the High Court ruled that the monopoly that Kemsa has for medical supplies is unlawful and Parliament is in the process of amending the Kemsa Act to enable county governments source medical procurement from sources other than Kemsa,” said Ojaamong.
On the other hand, the governor acknowledged and highlighted achievements made in the sector including completion of a new-born unit at the Busia County Referral Hospital’s maternity wing which is set to ease congestion.
Improve maternal and child health-care
The new facility will comprise delivery rooms, a theatre, maternity wards, a new-born unit and administrative offices. An estimated 6,000 deliveries are expected to be recorded annually at the new unit. The county government has also installed a modern oxygen manufacturing plant at the Busia referral hospital with a production capacity of 250 litres per minute. It is expected to supply oxygen to wards, the theatre, the maternity wing and the intensive care unit at the accident and emergency block.
As a commitment to improve maternal and child health-care services in Busia, the county government has also constructed a mother and child specialist health facility at Alupe Sub-County Hospital. The 100-bed facility will serve an estimated 220,000 clients annually and will comprise maternity wards, a theatre, an x-ray unit, nutrition and immunisation centres, infant nurseries, ante-natal clinics, laboratory and pharmacy units among others.
Some of the dispensaries commissioned by the county government so far include Igula in Butula Sub-County, Mukonjo and Wakhungu in Samia Sub-County and Buyosi dispensary in Matayos Sub-County. Others are Odengero dispesancy in Teso South and Kapina in Nambale sub-county.
