The Senate Health Committee has given Longisa County Referral Hospital in Bomet County clearance to offer services to residents and neighbouring counties. The visit by the committee is part of the countrywide inspection of the County Referral Hospitals, and the committee recommended the expansion of the facility. Speaking during a press briefing session, the Committee Chair, Senator Jackson Mandago, stated that the main objective of their tour is to assess the performance of the health sector in the county and the status of the hospital. ‘Our visit is to majorly explore better strategies to improve our health sector and enhance good service delivery to our counties,’ he said. Mandago stated that Longisa Hospital is one of the best referral hospitals to offer high-quality medication to not only residents of Bomet but also the neighbouring counties. ‘Longisa is one of the few county hospitals in the country offering dialysis treatment and other advanced medication in the region, and that is a great achievement that the county government has taken to enhance the standards of our healthcare,’ he stated. On the contrary, he said that the County Assembly should focus on increased budget allocations to upgrade the hospitals’ health facilities. ‘For as long as the hospital has good records on healthcare services, the hospital still lacks adequate spaces and facilities, and it is high time the County Assembly issued an increment on health budget allocation,’ Mandago added. He said that the committee is going to work on KEMSA’s delayed disbursement of drugs procured by the county and also resolve the wage bill challenge. The committee also emphasised the importance of the county ensuring that their health facilities are approved by the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), as it has a positive impact on public healthcare services. Speaking during the visit, Bomet Senator Hillary Sigei affirmed that the committee’s purpose was to assess the overall performance of the facility and its functional capabilities in serving the needs of the residents of Bomet. Sigei stated that the committee’s visit aimed at assessing the overall performance, efficiency, and functioning of our healthcare systems. It also raised important inquiries concerning the County Budgetary provision for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, specifically regarding how the county manages skilled healthcare professionals like specialists and their availability to meet the county’s needs. ‘In their wisdom, they have also explored topics related to investments in healthcare infrastructure and our county’s innovative solutions for addressing periodic shortages of essential medical supplies, a challenge experienced by many counties for which they have promised to seek a solution, ‘he added.

Source: Kenya News Agency