More funds should be channeled to counties to carter for Health services, says PAC.

Public Accounts Committee Chairman Opiyo Wandayi{2nd left} with other committee Members when they toured two Health facilities in Kisumu County.The Committee has said more funds should be channeled to counties to carter for the devolved health services adequately-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo.

By Dickson Odhiambo.

September 4, 2018.

More funds should be channeled to counties to carter for Health services, says PAC.

THE National Government should channel more funds to the County Governments to carter for the devolved health services at the County Level, a Parliamentary Committee has said.

The Public Accounts Committee says the division of revenue between the National Government and the Counties needs to be reviewed to give health sector more money to the counties.

Addressing the media after touring two health Facilities in Kisumu to check the progress of the Managed Equipment Services that was provided to counties’ and regional referrals hospitals by the National Governments, PAC chairman Opiyo Wandayi said there is need to allocate more funds to the health sector in the counties.

The committee says the costing of health functions was not properly done and it needs a review, adding that a lot of money is still needed by the counties to help in driving the health functions at the county level.

The Committee is doing this as a continuation of their examination following the Audit queries that was made by the Auditor General in regard to the Ministry of Health’s Account on the Managed Equipment Scheme.

The Committee is also going round the country to determine the equipment performance at the County Level.

The Committee say there is still a lot to be done hence the need to review the allocation to counties from the National Government.

The Committee says the Managed Equipment Scheme by the National Government to the Counties has greatly helped in improving the health services at the county level.

“The coming of these equipment to the County level has greatly helped in improving health services unlike before their arrivals,” Wandayi says.

The Committee is of the view that there is an urgent need to address the issue of staffing which is a major challenge, adding that there is an acute shortage of qualified staff to help in operating the equipment.

However, the committee says the issue of prudent financial management should be there at the health facilities.

The committee says a lot still needs to be done in order to ensure there is prudent management of Public funds especially at the referral health facilities.

The committee says there should be a legal framework which will help in enhancing the service delivery by the health sector at the county level.

“My committee is going to work closely with the departmental committee on Health to be able to come up with appropriate recommendations inform of including a legislative proposals to enhance service delivery in the health sector in general also to ensure that there is prudent financial management as a way of safeguarding public interests,” Wandayi adds.

Kisumu County Executive Committee Member in charge of Health Dr. Rosemary Obara says there health funds should be properly anchored within the law as this will be the surest way to safeguard the funding.

She says the MES has really helped in improving on the delivery of the health services to the County Level.

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