Cheboi starts work, blames health officials for rot at Karbanet Referral
A signage at the gate of Baringo County Referral Hospital in Kabarnet.
Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi has attributed poor health services at the County Referral Hospital in Kabarnet to demoralised staff and poor management of the county health department.
The assessment came hot on the heels of an uproar from residents about deplorable conditions at the hospital. An official at the hospital recently exposed the rot, blaming the county government for it.
Among the areas of concern was that the CT scan equipment broke down last year and had not been fixed, forcing locals to travel hundreds of kilometres to neighbouring counties to seek radiography services.
Mr Cheboi, who was sworn into office on Thursday, promised to prioritise health services.
Impromptu hospital visit
On Friday, he made an impromptu visit to Eldama Ravine Sub-County Hospital with members of the county assembly from the constituency.
Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi (in grey suit) touring Eldama Ravine sub-county hospital on August 28, 2022 accompanied by local leaders and hospital administrators.
The visit was prompted by complaints about lack of drugs in the six major hospitals in the county.
“We still have challenges in our health facilities, including shortage of drugs, poor service delivery and other problems which need to be streamlined,” he said.
“We want to assure locals that we are up and running and we want to ensure minimal referrals to hospitals in neighbouring counties. With my administration, I promise to work tirelessly to improve the living standards of our people and ensure that they get quality healthcare," he said.
Long distances
Patients, including those from remote villages, have had to travel long distances to seek treatment in Nakuru, Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.
On Kabarnet Referral, Mr Cheboi, who was Baringo’s pioneer governor, claimed that when he handed over to his successor and now predecessor Stanley Kiptis in 2017, the hospital was running well, only for the issues of workers’ pay and welfare to crop up years later.
Services at the hospital have been crippled and vital equipment is grounded, said hospital board chairman Philip Cheptinga.
“I am the board chairman at the facility but I am not impressed by what is happening there. In my opinion, the sickening health sector shows lack of government in this region,” Dr Cheptinga said.
“The services are poor, vital equipment that broke down eight months ago is gathering dust and is yet to be repaired.”
Infants died in incubator
In March, there was an uproar among locals after seven infants died at the hospital’s maternity incubator after allegedly being subjected to high temperatures by medical students attending to them, accusations the devolved unit denied.
All the newborns had been delivered prematurely.
Last year, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) clashed with Mr Kiptis over his claims that the devolved unit had hired more than 20 new doctors in its major health facilities.
KMPDU North Rift chairman Darwin Ambuka dismissed the governor’s claims as untrue, noting that major hospitals in the region were still grappling with acute staff shortages and poor working conditions, prompting a large number of referrals to neighbouring counties.
