Mudavadi wants health sector reformed

By ALLAN KISIA  

UDF party leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi has told county governments to prioritise reforms in the health sector.

Mudavadi said counties should combat heart, cancer, diabetes and other killer diseases that are on the rise.

He said the diseases are silent but deadly, affecting an increasing percentage of people, many of whom cannot afford treatment or access proper medical facilities.

Noting that existing facilities are ill-equipped, expensive and far away from needy patients, Mudavadi said the diseases are quietly taking a toll on large segments of rural populations because they are not diagnosed in time, and when they are, it is too late for curative treatment.

“Now that county governments are responsible for health functions, they should urgently equip local health facilities with diagnostic equipment, experts and medicines to stop the prevalence of killer diseases,” he said. Mudavadi spoke when he visited ailing former trade unionist and MP Peter Kibisu at his Sabatia home in Vihiga County. 

Kibisu, who complained of failed promises by the government to provide for his medical treatment, was the secretary general of Cotu. He served as MP for Vihiga Constituency and as an assistant minister for Labour between 1969 and 1975.

“I don’t know if I am still being punished for standing against mutilating the JM Kariuki assassination report in 1975,” he said, recalling his sacking as assistant minister after he and the late Masinde Muliro voted against attempts to expunge the parliamentary select committee report.

Mudavadi cautioned that health providers should not delude themselves that lifestyle diseases are only for the rich.

Heart diseases

“Poor children are dying at birth due to curable heart ailments because facilities available are located in major cities or private hospitals that are too expensive for rural people to access,” he said.

On the devolution debate, Mudavadi cautioned county governments against extravagant budgets that seek to make leaders comfortable at the expense of service delivery.

“Counties that have bigger budgets for entertainment than health are giving reason for doubts to arise over their ability to offer services and their commitment to devolution.

“They are not helping efforts to strengthen devolution,” he said, adding that the clamour for more money will only be credible if counties portray prudent budgets that benefit citizens.