MEDIC LEAVE SIAYA HEALTH CENTRES IN DROVES FOR GREEN PASTURES

Siaya county referral and subcounty hospitals has been having mass exodus of doctors, nurses and proper health staffs.
About 14 doctors and nurses in both referral and subcounty hospitals have been paving way to greener pastures leading to rapid loss of lives in the county.
The latest doctor to leave the Siaya Referral was the medical superintendent and the only gynecologist Jacktone Omoto who left the facility with no specialist.
Sources revealed that Ambira Sub County Hospital has been  grounded without any specialist to attend to the patients.
In Gem, Lianda Dispensary was closed for four days after the in charge went for leave.
However according to chair of the implementation committee in the county assembly of Siaya Leonard Oriaro who tabled a motion before the county assembly to seek clarification from the health committee pertaining the state of hospitals, the county government  should shoulder the problems in the health facilities.
Oriaro said Siaya county government was to employ 134 doctors in the last financial year 2013/14 whereby the national government factored in funds worth Sh108 million but nothing has been done and instead health officers are leaving.
A letter dated October 18 2013 from the ministry of Health signed by cabinet secretary of Health James Macharia and copied to all governors and public secretary service commission in all the 47 counties revealed that the government had allocated Sh3.754 billion to recruit 6355 health workers.
The letter showed the number of specialist per county and their job groups whereby 85 nursing officers were to be recruited, 21 clinical officers, seven medical laboratories, three pharmaceutical technologist, three nutritionists, three health records and information officers, two occupational therapists, one orthopaedic technologist. two physiotherapists, three radiographers, dental technologists, one medical social workers and one medical engineering technologist.
The members of the county assembly Siaya  led by deputy chief whip Booker Minami said that none of the officers has been employed since the letter was issued two days after Governor Cornel Rasanga was re-elected as the governor.
Booker told out Rasanga, Cabinet executive committee member of health Edward Owila and chief officer Jalang’o Midiwo to come out and tell Kenyans how they used Sh108m that was allocated for health in last financial year.
“In Siaya county we were to employ 134 health officers and no one has been employed hence governor and his team should tell us how they spend the money allocated for health,” said Booker.
County director of health Omondi Owino blamed the politicians for the constant bashing of health workers in the hospitals saying that it is the reason as to why the doctors have been leaving.
“The constant bashing of the medical officers by the politicians is derailing our progress,” said Omondi.