Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua has called for answers over growing congestion in public health facilities across the county, raising concerns about patients being forced to share beds due to limited space and strained services.
Speaking in the Senate on Thursday, Wambua sought a statement from the Senate Standing Committee on Health, saying overcrowding in hospitals has become a major challenge despite healthcare being a constitutional right for all Kenyans.
The senator said many public health facilities in Kitui are struggling with inadequate infrastructure and limited bed capacity, resulting in packed wards and situations where patients have to share beds.
He asked the committee to provide details on the current state of public health facilities in the county, including bed capacity, occupancy levels and the ratio of patients to available beds.
Wambua also wants the committee to explain what measures are being taken to reduce congestion and improve conditions in hospitals serving residents of Kitui County.
The lawmaker further sought information on interventions being undertaken by both the Ministry of Health and the Kitui County Government to address the underlying causes of overcrowding and bed sharing in public facilities.
These considerations were also based on ensuring patient safety, especially in times when there are disease outbreaks. He wanted the Health Committee to present a plan on how to enhance the system of infection prevention and control within the healthcare facilities, specifically in cases of highly infectious diseases.
Moreover, he wants a detailed presentation about the plans to build up the capacity of health facilities, as well as increase the number of hospital beds and staffing in order to offer high-quality and safe treatment to patients.
Jackson Mandago is the chairman of the Health Committee that will have to provide information concerning the funds reserved for building up public health facilities in Kitui and report to the Senate about the progress of such projects.
This proposal emphasizes the issues associated with the work of public hospitals in various regions of the country since their capacities have been decreasing in times when the need for medical services is increasing.
