Governor Orengo launches kits for community health staff to promote care services

Governor James Orengo during the launch of community health kits. [Isiah Gwengi, Standard]

Siaya Governor James Orengo has told the more than 2,000 community health promoters in the county that he will support their effort to promote primary healthcare.

He said the commitment is part of his pledge to revitalise Siaya's healthcare system and equip it to better meet the needs of the local population.

The governor spoke at the launch of the distribution of kits to CHPs at his residence in Ugenya sub-county. He also highlighted his commitment to expanding the range of healthcare services. Orengo aims to ensure residents of Siaya no longer have to undertake long journeys in search of health services.

"One year since my assumption of office, I can count achievements in healthcare, among them the hiring of 180 health workers to address the huge human resource gap," he said.

The governor added that there is a steady supply and stocking of health facilities with health products and technologies, including essential medicine.

"Expansion of the array of healthcare services, resulting from the improvement of Human Resources for Health and the acquisition of ultra-modern ambulances to enhance our emergency operation care and medical referral, represents some of the milestones we've achieved in the sector," said the governor.

He went on to explain that in the current financial year, his administration has allocated a significant portion of resources to upgrade facilities and expand the physical infrastructure. Recognising the vital role played by the CHPs in the county, he said the county provides a stipend of Sh3,000, extending coverage to CHPs and their entire households under NHIF, with an annual investment of Sh12.8 million.

He added: "The CHP kits distributed today, supplied by the national government with additional provisions from the county government, are in response to our unique disease partners and demographics."

Clinical thermometer

Included in the CHP kits are a first aid box, an identification jacket, weighing scales for adults and children, an infrared clinical thermometer for contact-free temperature measurement, a mid-upper arm circumference tape measure for both children and adults, a torch, a blood pressure monitoring device, a water flask, and a smartphone.

Idah Odinga commended both the county and the national government for their commitment to the CHP programme, saying it will play a pivotal role in promoting primary healthcare.

She said the value of CHPs, also referred to locally as Nyamrerwa, is increasingly being recognised as a crucial building block in strengthening healthcare systems.

"They have also proved to be the cost-effective way to extend health services to the hardest-to-reach communities. They serve as an entry point to the broader health system for many," Idah said.

She added that when supported by other health professionals, the work of CHPs can accelerate improvements in the health of underserved populations.