Residents of Mavoko sub-county face lots of challenges while seeking health services due to overstretched health facilities, says area MP Patrick Makau.
Addressing the press at Mavoko CDF office in Athi River town on Wednesday, Makau said there were no adequate well equipped public medical provider facilities in the region.
Makau said the situation had compromised health sevices in the region prompting a majority of the residents to seek medication in private clinics and hospitals where they get charged exorbitantly.
He cited Athi River Health Centre which he said was the only public health facility in the overpopulated Athi River town hence received high numbers of patients in a single day.
Makau said majority of those who depend on the hospital were residents from poor backgrounds who could not afford charges in private facilities.
He said the problem came with devolution claiming the Machakos government had ignored community dispensaries which were established by constituency development fund long before the promulgation of the new constitution in 2010.
“After the inauguration of the new constitution in 2010, the Transition Authority was formed to spearhead devolution. Devolved functions including health were handed over to county governments, health facilities including health centres and community dispensaries started by CDF were equally technically handed over to counties by the constitution,” said Makau.
Makau said though health function was devolved, Machakos government had refused to take over more than six dispensaries in Mavoko Sub County apart from Chyumbi Dispensary.
He said dispensaries in Athi River, Mlolongo Phase three, Syiokimau, Muthwani, Nduvuini and Kinanie were among those started by CDF but ignored by the government.
Makau refuted claims that Mavoko CDF had failed to complete construction of the proposed Athi River Level Four Hospital, a project started by the fund under larger Kathiani constituency then before splitting it into two, thereby creating Mavoko constituency.
“The controversial Athi River Level Four Hospital was a project established by the then Kathiani CDF before Mavoko constituency came to being, Mavoko CDF has never engaged in the project whatsoever given that health function was devolved before the current Mavoko CDF office took over in 2013,” said Makau.
“The hospital is squarely under the county government not CDF, all CDF dispensaries were handed over to the Machakos government, why did the leadership receive it but has failed to complete it?” said Makau.
Makau said the government should take full responsibility of the dispensaries, upgrade to modern standards and stalk them with necessary adequate drugs for best interests of the needy residents.
He said the government should urgently allocate funds for completion of the Athi River Level Four Hospital to help decongest Athi River Health Centre and enable the residents to have access to more accessible and affordable health services which is their constitutional rights.