Garissa Hospital Faces Serious Challenges, County Assembly Committee Finds

GARISSA—A surprise visit by the Garissa County Assembly Health Committee to the Garissa County referral hospital has exposed significant shortcomings in service delivery, prompting calls for urgent action. The visit, conducted on Friday, was in response to recent public complaints and allegations by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei regarding the hospital’s deteriorating condition.

According to Kenya News Agency, the hospital is grappling with funding shortages, demotivated staff, non-functional medical equipment, and overcrowding in wards. It was revealed that the facility has not received medical supplies from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) since October of the previous year, forcing patients to seek medication from private entities. Additionally, critical equipment in the renal and theatre departments is out of service, with only two of six Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds operational.

Committee Chair Adan Hassan Odowa highlighted that despite authorizing the hospital to utilize its generated revenue, the county executive has not granted it financial autonomy. Nominated MCA Khadija Idriss expressed concern over the discrepancy between the revenue collected by the hospital, amounting to Sh155.7 million in the 2022/2023 financial year, and the significantly lower allocation of Sh33.5 million from the expected Sh144 million from the county treasury.

Idriss also pointed out the lack of support for the hospital’s dedicated staff, who have not received promotions since 2015 and are working without essential allowances and with faulty equipment. Meanwhile, Bariki ward MCA Hassan Geley acknowledged some improvements in service delivery and financial accountability but criticized the hospital’s administrative management. He urged the county administration to expedite the procurement of new CT scans, ICU, and renal equipment and questioned the delay in medical drug supplies from KEMSA.

The committee’s findings call for a comprehensive review and immediate interventions to address the financial, operational, and administrative issues hindering the hospital’s ability to provide quality healthcare services to the residents of Garissa County.