This archive report was first published on 25 September 2019.
Kisii Governor James Ongwae has challenged medics in the county to improve their services, citing complaints from residents.
Speaking at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital on September 24, 2019, Mr Ongwae said that while medics in other counties had gone on strike to demand payment of their salaries, there were no such incidents in Kisii.
He attributed this to the county's allocation of 40 per cent of its recurrent budget to the health sector, ensuring that medics are well remunerated and avoid strikes.
"My administration has ensured that health sector employees are paid their salaries on time. We did not have a strike over payment like it happened in other counties recently," said Ongwae.
He noted that Universal Health Care was one of the key pillars of President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big Four Agendas, and the medics must show commitment to it.
For this reason, Ongwae's administration is planning to train community health volunteers who will assist medical professionals in public hospitals.
Additionally, the county assembly recently passed a bill that supports creation of a budget which will pay monthly National Hospital Insurance Fund subscriptions for needy residents.
