A section of residents in Nakuru are calling on the county government to ensure the more than 50 new health centres it set up over two years ago are fully operational.
Even as the 47 county governors gather in Meru for the devolution conference, residents welcomed the new facilities but complained about walking for long distances to access health services.
They now want Governor Kinuthia Mbugua to expedite the process of equipping the facilities with essential equipment, drugs and staff to help alleviate their suffering.
"Women still deliver their babies at the hands of semi-skilled traditional birth attendants if lucky. Most women deliver at home with the help of relatives and this leads to rising maternal and child mortality rates in villages," said Janet Rono from Mariashoni in Njoro sub-county. People who make it to the new health centers built within reach are not guaranteed to receive drugs or a medical officer to attend to them. This forces them to travel long distances to get to the facilities and those in critical condition hardly make it there," she said.
In 2014, the State department of Health ranked Nakuru County among the top 15 counties in the country where maternal and child mortality was still high at 15 per cent.
Governor Kinuthia Mbugua is on record saying his government has put up more than 30 new health facilities in areas where there were no hospitals to provide health services to citizens.
"The county spends Sh500 million on acquisition of drugs and equipment annually in strategic initiatives aimed at ensuring that all facilities have enough essential drugs and other medical necessities for quality health services to citizens," the governor said
The county government has devoted Sh2.1 billion annually to the health sector.
Dr Samwel Mwaura, the county chief officer in charge of health services says the department has rejected some of the hospitals as they do not meet basic structural requirements for health facilities.
The chief medical officer said some facilities built by CDF committees in rural areas of the county lack prerequisite amenities for a standard health facility such as proper ventilation and spacious rooms to accommodate patients.
He says such drawbacks on some facilities have hindered adoption by the department of health as they are hazardous to the health of potential users.
Even as he called on CDF committees to consult the department of health while constructing buildings meant for use in dispensing health services, residents may not quite find the devolution conference taking place in Meru tenable.