Kuti insists Isiolo ICU beds working, dismisses leasing claims
Isiolo Governor Mohamed Kuti has accused his political foes of spreading rumours that the intensive care unit (ICU) for Covid-19 patients at the county’s referral hospital is not working.
The governor maintained that the six ICU beds supported by a seven-bed high dependency unit are operational and that a Senate committee that recently visited Isiolo confirmed so.
“We took the Senate ad-hoc committee on Covid-19 through the ICU unit and our people who had come out also saw for themselves that the unit is operational. Residents and Kenyans now know who is telling the truth and the propagandists seeking political mileage,” said an agitated Dr Kuti.
LEASING CLAIMS
He rubbished claims that some of the beds were leased from a private hospital, arguing that they were all procured from the Mission for Essential Drugs Supplies (MEDS) and that they all have supporting documents for the transactions.
The county boss told off some local politicians whom he accused of peddling lies to tarnish his administration’s good image, saying it is inhumane to politicise health issues.
Dr Kuti, while reiterating the commitment by his government to work with all the local leaders, welcomed criticism but maintained that it must be objective.
“My government has put in place requisite measures to stem the spread of the disease and trained over 80 per cent of health workers among other interventions.
“While we are not where we want to be, leaders should at least be objective in their criticism so that we improve on the areas where there could be gaps,” the governor said.
HEALTH WORKERS TRAINED
The Isiolo governor said the county has so far trained 1,470 frontline key players in the health sector including 523 health workers and distributed over 50, 000 face masks, assorted food items and medical supplies to flood-hit Iresaboru area.
The Senate committee chaired by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja last week launched a probe into the alleged leasing of the Isiolo ICU beds during a tour to assess the county’s level of preparedness to handle the Covid-19 pandemic.
There has been controversy over the purchase of the beds launched in April after a lobby group shared pictures of a pickup being loaded with equipment outside the private hospital and the same vehicle entering the county referral hospital’s gate.
Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo on May 12 petitioned the Senate to establish how the beds and the supporting equipment launched on April 10 were procured and further demanded an inquiry into how the county’s Sh40 million for Covid-19 fight has been used.
CRITICAL CARE NURSES
The governor said two nurses who have specialised in critical care offered by the Kenya Medical Training College are training other nurses at the referral hospital.
During the fact-finding visit, the Senators maintained that counties must be accountable to the public and share information on how coronavirus funds have been used.
Mr Sakaja lamented that in wake of Covid-19, many counties are not following the laid down procurement procedures, maintaining that governors will not be allowed to use the disease as conduit to siphon money from public coffers.
Senator Sakaja then told the Nation that the committee will also be asking for specific documentation on the county’s Covid-19 expenditure.
Post a Comment