Gatanga MP Edward Muriu wants healthcare management functions withdrawn from counties

Gatanga Member of Parliament (MP) Edward Muriu now says that it is imperative for the State to withdraw hospital management responsibilities from counties and revert the same to the national government.

According to the MP, the devolved units do not have the capacity to efficiently run the institutions.

In a statement on Thursday, Muriu claimed that it has been demonstrated, through practical experience, that governors lack the expertise to effectively administer healthcare services in the counties, even though healthcare is a devolved function.

"It has now been tried and tested; governors have no clue on how to manage health services in the counties despite the same being a devolved function under the fourth schedule of the constitution," he said.

"It's hue and cry across the country. Our hospitals and dispensaries have no basic medicines not even panadol.  Needless to say, the doctors' and nurses' morale is at its lowest; hospitals have become death chambers for the hustlers."

He added that the State should likewise establish an independent body, akin to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to run the facilities.

"The Solution is to take away the Hospital Management from the Governors and create an Autonomous Body Answerable to the Counties Through Senate - Doctors and Nurses Service Commission akin to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC )," he said.

"The Commission will be the Employer and will be Posting and Supervising the Doctors and Nurses Performance in the Counties."

The MP has since vowed to table a motion in Parliament for the withdrawal of healthcare services from being under the county government’s control.

‘’I have Firm instructions from the Great People of Gatanga Constituency to table this Motion before Parliament and Come up with a suitable Act of Parliament to Operationalize the Commission,’’ he said.