The County Government of Nakuru has transitioned 308 health workers from contract to permanent and pensionable terms and promoted 1,367 others.
Governor Susan Kihika said the workers who were either newly employed or promoted range from clinical officers, nurses, nutritionists, dietitians, laboratory technologists and pharmacists.
Ms. Kihika explained that their transition to permanent and pensionable terms was not only well-deserved but also a clear statement of intent as a county government in the transformation of healthcare in the devolved unit.
She hailed the health workers for their resilience, professionalism, and commitment, saying their efforts had not gone unnoticed and assured them of her support as they discharged their duties.
Speaking at the County headquarters after overseeing the handover of both the appointment and promotion letters to the workers, the Governor affirmed that by strengthening the county’s workforce, they were laying a firm foundation for consistent, quality and accessible healthcare for every resident of Nakuru.
“Stability in employment translates directly into better service delivery and ultimately, a healthier and more productive county,” Ms. Kihika added.
She said her administration believed that a well-motivated health workforce was essential to improving healthcare delivery and achieving better outcomes for the locals.
While pledging her government’s unwavering commitment to a motivated, efficient and sustainable public service, Ms. Kihika assured that they were working with the County Assembly towards allocating adequate funds to the health department to ensure seamless service delivery.
She said they were keen to ensure adequate budgetary allocations that will facilitate the smooth operation of healthcare services in the county.
The governor reiterated the devolved unit’s administration’s commitment to boosting investment in healthcare infrastructure, saying Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital recorded more than 2,000 outpatients and at least 300 inpatient attendances per day, hence the need to increase and improve the welfare of health workers to deal with the increased workload.
The Governor was accompanied by Chief of Staff Dr. Peter Ketyenya; County Executive Committee Member in charge of Health Services MS Roselyn Mungai, Chief Officers Dr. Daniel Wainaina and Joseph Kibusya, County Public Service Board members led by Chairman Charles Mwai, and Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital Director Dr. Santosh Devaraj.
Ms. Kihika said the County administration had put in place continuous health infrastructural improvement programmes by equipping health facilities with modern diagnostic and treatment medical equipment and that the department of health had put in place strategies to ensure an affordable and reliable supply of drugs to all health facilities in the 11 sub-counties.
She indicated that the County had medical supplies in virtually all health facilities that diagnose and help in the management of malaria, pneumonia, tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension.
“I encourage Kenyans to go for regular checkups to help combat emerging trends of ailments,” said Ms. Kihika.
The Governor at the same time assured locals that the county administration had put in place watertight monitoring and evaluation measures that guaranteed only deserving cases get drugs and that they do not end up in private chemists.
She said there was a high level of accountability as her administration ensured that returns of all drugs and medical equipment delivered to health facilities were made by relevant authorities and had also put in place an efficient audit and accounting system that tracks how the distributed drugs and supplies procured from the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) were used.
She vowed to enhance order and proper functionality of all public healthcare facilities in the County by improving terms of employment and working conditions of health workers across all cadres.
Ms. Kihika also announced plans to recruit more nurses, clinical officers and doctors to boost health service delivery in the county adding that the health sector is the most vital aspect of life which her administration is giving more focus to.
Additional health workers, she added, would be recruited to progressively achieve staffing norms and standards and reduce the service delivery lead time, adding that other healthcare workers due for promotions and re-designation would be promoted and re-designated, and subsequently, adequate budget allocated to ensure timely promotions.
Ms Kihika commended healthcare workers for their efforts despite hurdles they had to face while administering services to patients, adding the she had prioritized completion and equipping of all stalled health projects.
“As we continue expanding health infrastructure across the county, our goal is to ensure residents access quality healthcare closer to their homes, with health workers remaining at the heart of this vision,” she added.
While stating that good health goes hand in hand with food security, Ms. Kihika lauded the health department for organizing support groups for patients with non-communicable ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney failure and cancer to enhance service delivery and streamline access to drugs and care.
Ms. Kihika reiterated her plans to upgrade all sub-county hospitals to level five hospitals with adequate bed capacity in all wards to avoid sharing of beds and the establishment of an adequate number of maternity facilities by expanding and upgrading existing health facilities and developing new health facilities with maternal services.
The county observed the Governor had deployed a robust ICT system to manage patients in health facilities, drugs and essential medical supplies and ensure transparency in resource utilization.
By Esther Mwangi and Jefther Afuyo
