Source: The Star
Tuesday, February 12, 2013 – 00:00 –
Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o. PHOTO / FILE
BY JUSTUS OCHIENG
TWENTY two public health facilities will be upgraded to referral facilities to boost healthcare across the country. Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o has announced.
Medical services minister Anyang’ Nyon’o said cabinet passed the National Referral Strategy for Kenya aimed at transforming the facilities into referral status.
Speaking at Suba District hospital, Nyon’go lamented that many people risked their lives as they are transferred to referral facilities far away from their destinations.
“We want to have a situation where in Nyanza some referral cases are not referred to Kisii alone”. The minister said inadequate number of ambulances in public hospitals has made it difficult to save lives due to lack of opportunity to transfer patients to other high level facilities.
He said the recently witnessed nurses’ strike was beyond the ministry of medical services control. Matters pertaining to registration of unions surely do not belong to my ministry but that of Labour, he said.
During the nurses strike they demanded for the registration of their union. The minister said the government is concerned about the shortage of nurses in all public hospitals.
“Currently we have a total of 34,000 nurses in public facilities instead of 67, 000 required,” said the minister. “We hope with the inception of the Cord government , we shall address the shortage,” Nyong’o added.
