[Jack Ranguma in a past event. He has dismissed a health motion in parliament that could see health function taken back by the national government. Photo/nation.co.ke]
The Council of Governors has dismissed attempts by Parliament to nationalize health service provision.
This follows a motion by Bureti MP Leonard Sang to revert the health function to the national government as ill-timed and misplaced.
The legislator sought to take the health function back to the national government through the motion filed in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
Speaking during a press briefing at the inaugural Lake Region Economic Bloc's health conference, Health Committee chair and Kisumu County Governor Jack Ranguma said the health function was not a national government concern.
"We are surprised that someone would even consider the idea of taking health away from the devolved units. The move is not only illegal, ill-timed and malicious, but also in bad taste," said Governor Ranguma.
He insisted that health services in the rural areas had made tremendous progress since the advent of devolution, saying Parliament's attempt to take the function back to the national government was tantamount to an attack on devolution.
"We have made the biggest strides do far in the provision of health care services since devolution was legalized. Medical services have tremendously improved, with equipment that was only found in Nairobi now a common feature in county referral hospitals," said the governor.
He asked the parliamentarians to shun what he called malicious legislation and instead concentrate on increasing funds to the health function.
"Our parliamentarians should be increasing funds to our devolved units instead of trying to diminish its importance and effectiveness by taking it away from the people, who are the biggest beneficiaries," he said.
Governor Ranguma said counties had substantially increased the purchase of drugs from the national drugs supplier, Kenya Medical Supplies Agency, KEMSA.
"KEMSA is the number one drug supplier to counties and since devolution we have increased its sales to counties through expanded purchases," said the governot.
He cited the various infrastructural projects undertaken by county governments as evidence of devolution at work.
"Bed capacities in many hospitals has greatly improved, along with the lease and purchase of equipment previously missing from county level hospitals. Devolution is the best thing to happen to health care in the country," said Governor Ranguma.
Council of Deputy Governors' chair Joash Maangi echoed his stance, terming the motion "a mischievous attempt to claw back the gains of devolution".
"It's nothing but a huge mistake. The motion wants to usurp the constitution which entrenched devolved health services and that requires a constitutional amendment through a referendum. Parliament will not succeed in its mission," he said.
Mr Maangi called the motion a mischievous attempt by the MPs to trim down the influence of county governments.
"The health function is an influential part of the county governments' day to day operations, with my own county devoting 51 percent of its entire budget. Coming so close to the elections, we sense an ulterior political motive in the motion," Mr Maangi said.
KPMDU chair Mr Samwel Oroko however differed with the leaders, saying the medical services sector had been adversely affected by the handover of recruitment and staff welfare functions from the national to county governments.
"The morale of medical staff and quality of services offered had been adversely affected by the staffing functions being handed over to the the devolved units," said Dr Oroko.
He asked the ministry of health to form a central body to handle the staffing, recruitment, promotion and discipline of heath staff along the general design and principles of the TSC that handles teachers' issues.
"We would like nothing better than to be handled by a central government body that will strictly operate outside the confines of county and national government politics in its execution of the medical services management mandate," said the union chair.
Governor Ranguma however dismissed his concerns, saying doctors were employed by different devolved units.
"We have different capacities as devolved units and it would be illogical to expect that all counties can have a similar set of terms for the doctors and other personnel. Let the medical staff negotiate their terns of service with their respective employers," said the governor.
On the staffing shortage at county facilities, the governor said the council of governors was considering the Tanzanian option in solving the staffing shortage on county hospitals.
"We are closely monitoring the staffing shortage and since Tanzania produces more doctors than its capacity to absorb them into its facilities, doctors from that country are a real and viable option for us," he said.
Dr Oroko said he was still in consultations with union members as they waited for the ultimatum it issued to the government regarding the payment of allowances.
"Once the ultimatum expires, the union will issue a statement on the way forward," said Dr Oroko.