This archive report was first published on 1 November 2021.
Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong has taken a significant step towards improving healthcare services in the county by forming the County Health Services Fund Board.
The board will enable the utilisation of the Facility Improvement Fund (FIF), which was made possible by the recently passed County Health Services Fund (Amendment) Act, 2021 and the County Community Health Services Act, 2021.
According to Ojaamong, the laws will allow a fraction of the money collected in hospitals to be used to buy essential medical products, such as gloves, syringes, and masks, rather than waiting for national government disbursements, which are often inconsistent.
Additionally, the laws create a fund to pay community health volunteers (CHVs) stipends to boost their morale in delivering services to the doorsteps of the people, especially the elderly and children.
County Health Executive Moses Mulomi has already factored Sh41 million in the supplementary budget for paying the volunteers stipends, and plans to add Sh11 million to the kitty so that the CHVs receive stipends throughout the year.
“The CHVs do a commendable job and command honour at the grassroots where they help in exercises such as sensitising the people to take vaccines and administering the jabs,” said Mulomi during the commissioning of the board in Busia town.
