The county government of Kisumu has began the process of recruiting health workers in a bid to improve service delivery in health facilities across the county.
According to the county Health Executive Dr Elizabeth Ogaja, the county will hire an additional 500 health professionals.
She said the move is expected to ease the strain of workload that is currently experienced in the county's health sector.
“We are facing shortages withing our workforce due to financial constrictions in the wake of devolution of health services. This has greatly affected effective healthcare delivery in our facilities but we are working to address the gaps,” she said.
Currently the interviews are on going for the candidates who will form part of the county health team that will be posted to the three district hospitals, six sub-district and 96 dispensaries across the county in the next one month.
Ms Ogaja said the health workforce shortage being experienced in the county is as a result of vacancies created by doctors who have either died, retired or quit service thereby affecting healthcare delivery.
Those to be hired includes 300 nurses. Among them are 48 nurses who will be posted to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The others to be hired also includes public health officers, clinical officers, occupational therapists and radiologists.
County Health Director Dr Ojwang Lusi said they are also looking out for specific training like health specialist in the various cadre, specialized ICU nurses, pediatrics nurses and anesthetists to potentiate the critical care.
“We are looking to open up radiologist centers in all the county health facilities. As at now X-ray unit at JOOTRH is overstretched with patients coming from the regional counties that is why we experience frequent breakout of the machines,” he said.
He added on to say that the county employing about 15 radiographers to handle the X-ray units that the county is currently putting in place in the county hospitals located in Chula Yimbo, Nyakach, Kombewa, Ahero and Muhoroni sub counties.
Kisumu County which hosts JOOTRH, a regional hospital that serves up to ten counties from the Western and Nyanza region continues to grapple with the shortages of health professionals with a workforce of only 2,000 employees.