The Senate Committee on Health, led by Senator Mariam Omar, conducted an oversight field visit to Kitui, Makueni, and Machakos Counties, inspecting Level Five and Level Four hospitals as part of its mandate to assess the status of healthcare service delivery, infrastructure, and resource utilization in public health facilities.

During the visit, the Committee observed that many health workers have remained in the same job group for over twelve years without promotion, a situation that has negatively impacted staff morale and consequently, patient care.

The lawmakers also noted significant delays in the processing of Social Health Authority (SHA) reimbursements and claims, a challenge that continues to strain service delivery across the counties.

Senate Identifies Missing Equipment

Further, the Committee identified critical equipment gaps, including a missing mammogram machine at Kitui County Referral Hospital and several non-functional X-ray machines in other facilities.

In addition, water shortages and inadequate bed capacity were reported in some hospitals.

“We can do better, good people. I’m very disappointed to see six patients sharing one bed, three infants and their mothers. This should not happen in this era,” said Sen. Tabitha Mutinda, expressing concern over the dire situation at Kitui Level 5.

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The legislators also flagged poor record-keeping systems, urging health facilities to adopt stable and modern digital systems.

“Facilities should use reliable and secure digital systems. These are not only essential for revenue collection and tracking but also for protecting patient data,” emphasized Sen. Mariam Omar.

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Message to Healthcare Workers

Despite the challenges, the Committee encouraged healthcare workers to remain dedicated and optimistic.

While the three governors from these counties acknowledged that there are gaps and are working to address them, they blamed the delays in the processing of SHA reimbursements and claims.

The Committee will retreat to compile its findings and prepare a report with recommendations based on the observations made during the visit.

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Senate Committee on Health during a tour at Makueni Child and Mother Hospital. PHOTO/Parliament.