Nyamira County Health Department has come under immense criticism following withdrawal of an ambulance that was reportedly assigned to Esani Sub County hospital.
Led by Philanthropist James Onsare, area residents accused the county government of discrimination, and demanded immediate response from the County Chief Health officer Dr Douglas Bosire.
They also demanded the incident to be investigated and architects behind the relocation of the ambulance to Keroka District Hospital to be brought to book.
“We had an ambulance assigned to serve over 50,000 people from this region but it’s not clear why it was withdrawn and taken to Keroka District Hospital,” Onsare said.
“As a community which has all rights in the constitution, we demand an explanation from the County Chief Health Officer because this is discrimination of the highest pedigree. We are having people suffering and others dying simply because they cannot be able to get emergency services whenever mode of transport needed,” he added.
“It will also be appropriate if those behind the relocation of the ambulance are brought to book because this is an injustice,” he said.
Bosire, who spoke on phone defended the decision saying the move was arrived at after high incidents of emergency directed to Keroka Hospital but promised to ensure the hospital is allocated another ambulance.
“There is a time we had limited ambulances and we decided to take the one for Esani to Keroka because of the magnitude of the cases we were receiving. But we are in the process of equipping all sub county hospitals,” he said.