IMPROVED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY REMAINS A KEY COMPONET IN COUNTY GOVERNANCE

County Governments are committed to bridge the nurses’ patients’ ratio from the current 1:50 to near 1:6 through proper funding in the health sector and improved Human resource management.

Through a speech delivered by Deputy Governor H.E Hon. Ayub Savula during the 36th Annual Scientific Conference of the Kenya Progressive Nurses Association held at Bishop Stam, Kakamega Governor H.E FCPA Fernandes Barasa said as a Council of Governors (CoG), they will increase funds allocation to the health sector and work towards revitalising the Universal Health Care to see to it that more nurses are employed to handle the high number of patients.

Governor Barasa noted that nurses form 60% of healthcare workers and therefore their input cannot be taken for granted.

As the Chairperson of Finance, Planning and Economic Affairs Committee at the CoG, FCPA Barasa called upon the National and County Governments and other stakeholders to consider investing in Education, Job creation, Good governance and Service delivery to enhance the expected outcome and actions required for successful delivery and monitoring of quality services to the people, including attaining high standards of health priorities.

The Governor further thanked the Kenya Progressive Nurses Association (KPNA) for their Corporate Social Responsibility at the Kakamega County General Hospital where they ran a free reconstructive surgery for 26 patients who had cleft lip and palate.

In their resolutions, the Nurses’ body raised a number of concerns among them; challenges in seeking transfers and insufficient budget allocation.