The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has called for the immediate closure of Ishiara Level 4 Hospital in Embu County, citing its deteriorating condition and inability to provide essential healthcare services.
KUCO Secretary General, George Gibore, made the remarks during a visit to the facility, Thursday, where he was accompanied by other Union officials, to assess its operational status.
He said the Team was also at the Hospital to stand in solidarity with healthcare workers and residents affected by poor services.
“We came to Ishiara Level 4 Hospital to assess the status of the facility. We also came in solidarity with our healthcare workers and the residents of Ishiara who have been suffering due to lack of proper healthcare services,” said Gibore.
He expressed concern that despite government funding allocated to the health sector, the Hospital remains in a deplorable state.
According to him, it is disheartening to see a Level 4 facility operating far below the required standards.
Gibore highlighted a severe shortage of staff, noting that the Hospital currently has only one clinical officer attending to patients, which is far below the expected minimum of between four and eight clinicians for a facility of its level.
“This is a Level 4 hospital. In any operational facility of this level, the minimum number of clinicians should be between four and eight. What we have here is completely unacceptable,” he said.
He further pointed-out the lack of essential medical supplies and services, forcing patients to purchase basic items from outside the facility.
He noted that key departments such as radiology are non-functional, with no ultrasound machine or imaging services available.
“A Level 4 hospital should offer emergency, curative, pediatric and maternity services, but none of these are adequately available here,” Gibore added.
The Union warned that it would escalate the matter by inviting the Senate Committee on Health to inspect the facility, recommending that it be downgraded to a lower level, based on its current condition.
“This Hospital should no longer be classified as a Level 4 facility. It should be downgraded to a Level 2 hospital,” he said.
Gibore also condemned poor sanitation at the Hospital, citing the use of contaminated water, which he said poses a serious risk to both patients and healthcare workers.
“Healthcare is fundamental, and using dirty water only endangers lives. The current conditions also put medics at risk,” he noted.
Echoing his concerns, Embu County KUCO Secretary, Jacinta Rwamba, alleged intimidation and interference by County officials in the management of the health sector.
She claimed that funds meant for specific health projects are sometimes diverted without proper accountability.
“It is disturbing that officials can reallocate funds meant for healthcare without consultation, leaving facilities like this in dire conditions,” she said.
Rwamba also accused County health authorities of mismanaging resources, calling for greater transparency and accountability in the sector.
By Samuel Waititu
