The Kenya Medical Association (KMA) has called on the government to take charge of the teaching and referral hospitals.
The association has accused counties of neglecting the hospitals. They have now proposed that the national government should take charge of the institutions.
According to the former director of Medical Services Richard Muga, the devolved government is unable to manage the hospitals as required.
‘‘Some hospitals have not been identified since the introduction of counties. There is a group of hospitals which were called provincial hospitals. In the new dispensation, such hospitals have not been defined. Only Kenyatta National Hospital and the Moi Teaching and Referral hospitals have been classified by an act of parliament,’’ said Muga.
He called on the state to clearly identify where the other provincial hospitals should lie. He mentioned the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Mt. Kenya, Coast, Kakamega, Embu and Garissa hospitals as provincial hospitals which have been neglected. He said the hospitals are potential referral hospitals which should be revived by the government. He said the counties cannot manage to raise the resources needed to run such hospitals.