Counties threaten to take over the running of referral hospital

Some counties in the North Rift have threatened to take over the management of the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) if the national government continues to delay releasing funds required to run it.

Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago cautioned that continued delay in releasing the funds would cripple health services in various hospitals.  The governor said the national government is required to remit Sh500 million to every county each financial year to support operations of level five hospitals, also known as county referrals.

MTRH is the second largest referral facility in the country, serving Western Kenya, parts of Uganda and Southern Sudan. The national government had promised to build another hospital so that Uasin Gishu can have a referral facility of its own.

“The government is no longer sending funds for level five hospitals, yet it is a requirement. This has affected service delivery, forcing patients to seek medical services from other referral hospitals, which are only supposed to handle complicated cases,” said Mandago during training workshop for county officials in Eldoret yesterday.

He said no funds were released during the 2015/2016 financial year.  Yesterday,  Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union Secretary General

Dr Ouma Oluga complained that health workers have been frustrated and cannot deliver services as prescribed in the scheme of service.