[Kisii Governor James Ongwae in a past event. He says that he will easily win his governorship position despite stiff competition. Photo/Hivisasa.com]
Kisii County Governor James Ongwae yesterday named his development record as the yardstick voters would use to reelect him during the August election.
He expressed confidence in retaining his seat ahead of the polls, saying voters in the region were interested in leaders who with proven track records.
Governor Ongwae who was elected on an ODM ticket is in the race to retain the seat with deputy governor Joash Maangi as his running mate.
His deputy recently returned to ODM after months of uncertainty on his political prospects following his defection to Jubilee that was riddled in controversy amid rumours of infighting among its county party leaders.
“I know voters in the county are intelligent and they have been keenly following the progress so far made by their leaders. When voting day comes they will vote for development conscious leaders and I am certainly one of them,” said the governor.
He defended his track record as the first county governor, saying he had revolutionized the health services sector.
“When I took over as governor, the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital had a bed capacity of 450 beds, but will soon be expanded to 750 as soon as we complete the wards we are constructing at the facility. We also upgraded the cooking system from firewood to a gas-reliant one,” said Governor Ongwae.
He said the hospital did not have a CT scan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment, digital x-ray machines and a cancer treatment centre.
The governor said he had received written confirmation from the Ministry of Health that funds for the project had become available.
“We have received a letter from the ministry that a Sh 2 b grant from donors to build a modern cancer centre and cancer ward with a 60 bed capacity is available. We expect it to be complete within the next two years as soon as the funds are disbursed to my administration,” Mr Ongwae said.
He was speaking during a medical camp at Kisii Central Seventh Day Adventist Church organized by medics based in the town.
Mr Ongwae said the county’s health budget annually swallowed more than 50 percent of its total Treasury allocation.
“Of the more than 5,000 employees in the county payroll, the health sector has taken up over 2,500 staff. The budget also covers development and expansion of health facilities and related infrastructure,” said the governor.
The governor asked residents to take advantage of specialist services available in government facilities, saying the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) had been expanded to cater for low-income earners.
“Many people suffer from health complications for years without knowing, often discovering the full extent of their challenges when they are faced with emergencies. We need to avert such situations by going for regular medical checkups,” said Governor Ongwae.
He named lifestyle diseases diabetes and hypertension as a major challenge for residents in the county.
“Our emerging challenge is lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes which is costing our people millions in treatment and medication.
There is serious need for residents to take charge of their health by paying attention to their vital signs such as weight, blood pressure and sugar levels through regular checkups at recognized health facilities,” said the governor.
Kisii County Health CEC Sarah Omache echoed her sentiments, saying the elimination of lifestyle diseases were a major component of the county government’s health promotion policy.
“We have embarked on a program to sensitize our people on the need to get regularly tested for diabetes and hypertension as well as living on a healthy diet to avoid lifestyle-related ailments,” said Ms Omache.
Consultant surgeon Dr Raymond Oigara said the medics organized the event as a way to give back to the community in which they reside.
“As medical professionals, we cannot exist in a vacuum within our society. Today was our opportunity to promote a healthy lifestyle among our people and also create awareness on early detection and diagnosis of lifestyle diseases,” said Dr Oigara.
He raised an alarm on obesity in the county, saying excessive weight gain was contributing to an increase in cases of diabetes and hypertension.
Rescue Health Services chief executive and Lions Club member Roselyne Nyakona said the team of medics had targeted at least 10,000 beneficiaries in the camp.
“We realized that a number of people were suffering in silence in the county without the benefit of medical services due to financial constraints,” said Ms Nyakona, who was one of the event organizers.
More than 5,000 people were tested for various ailments and given free medication and medical advice during the day-long exercise that incorporated medical specialists drawn from public and private facilities across the county.