KEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF GOVERNOR SANG IN THE HEALTH SECTOR
Since taking over in 2017, Governor Stephen Sang placed high priority on Health as a thematic area of focus knowing fully well that a healthy population is a wealthy population. In the last 5years, there has been tremendous increase in Health Financing Fiscal Space and the County has witnessed huge investments on Health infrastructure as well as Health work force, Capacity building to improve service delivery, Procurement and distribution of essential medicines, Electronic data capturing and tracking system to improve on Health Management Information System.
While giving his address at the opening session of the Third Nandi County Assembly, Governor Stephen Sang has vowed to enhance health services and ensure proper functionality of all public healthcare facilities in the County.
Some of the key achievements in the health sector include the increase in the budgetary allocation for healthcare from 22% to 38% of our annual budget.
Governor Sang’s administration has also renovated, constructed, equipped, operationalized and upgraded a significant number of health facilities across the county and further increased the number of health care providers and workers across the sector.
To avert frequent strikes, the county secured a binding engagement with healthcare workers on improvement of their terms of service and working conditions through implementation of an international exchange program, promotions and reassignment of jobs.
To reduce maternal and infant mortalities, Governor Sang’s administration constructed new maternity wings and upgraded the existing ones. This has significantly increased access to skilled birth attendance and reduced mortality rate from 71 per 100,000 births in 2017 to 34 per 100,000 births in 2022.
Highlighting his development agenda to the assembly; the county boss said that his administration has increased the number of theaters in the County thus ensuring patient referrals outside the county and the cost of medical care has significantly decreased. The county government has also acquired new ambulances to address the challenges experienced in patient management and referral services.
The Governor highlighted the upgrade and expansion of facilities and services at Kapsabet County Referral Hospital to meet the ever increasing demands for health services by residents with establishment of an oxygen plant, a variety of diagnostic services, renal services, as well as a modern maternity with additional theatres, radiology services that include CT scan and X-Rays, endoscopy and ICU services.
Several standby power generators have been installed in major health facilities across the county to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
The Governor also announced plans to recruit more specialists to boost health service delivery in the county adding that the health sector is the most vital aspect of life which his administration will focus more on.
Governor Sang reiterated his plans to upgrade sub-county hospitals and establishment of adequate number of maternity facilities by expanding and upgrading existing health facilities and developing new health facilities with maternal services.
The Governor lauded healthcare workers for their efforts despite challenges they had to face while administering services to patients.
“I want to thank all the healthcare workers who have been working so hard to ensure that our people receive medical attention despite numerous challenges,” he said.