Medical equipment worth millions is still lying idle at Garbatula Sub- County Hospital while residents travel to Isiolo and Meru to seek treatment.
The Senate Committee on Health led by Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo expressed concerns that several modern equipment at Garbatula Sub-County hospital has never been unpacked since they were delivered to the facility from Nairobi about four years ago.
The committee said that cancer screening and x-ray machines were brought to the Hospital by the Ministry of Health in an agreement with County Government in 2015 and are not operational due to lack of trained personnel.
Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula said that Kenyans are suffering spending millions to seek treatment in India and other countries while the County Government has been paying Sh 200 million to the National government annually for equipment which are intact in the boxes.
“According to a contract signed between the County Government four years ago the equipment was leased up to 2022 and the target beneficiaries are yet to get the necessary service,” Wetangula said yesterday.
The committee which is on a fact-finding mission also revealed that senior officers in the County government have no clue when the machine was received and no delivery note was traceable except the verbal answers given by Chief Officer for Health Mr. Ibrahim Alio.
Wetangula said that County Government failed to employ specialized technicians to operate the machines and said that could be the reason the contractor did not install the equipment.
Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo said that the County government has also failed to connect enough water supplies to health facilities forcing patients to carry water in jerry-cans, especially the mothers going to maternity.
The Senators accused the medical personnel of failing to provide adequate information to them and warned that the committee is on official duty to see the funds allocated to the county was properly accounted for and would not spare officers who are careless in addressing issues.
The Senate Committee further said the County government seemed not prepared for them despite being notified about the visit from the Senate two weeks ago and had no proper records to show when they received the equipment.