Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has named a Task Force to review reforms in the Nairobi County health sector.
Among the members of the task force include Professor Olive Mugenda who will be chairing the team and Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Mercy Mwangangi.
The eight-member taskforce will be tasked with assessing the status of all public health facilities, reviewing current human resource capacity as well as reviewing the supply chain management of pharma and non-pharma products.
They will also be required to assess the health information management system and propose interventions towards a comprehensive system, and review and propose an efficient health financing model.
Sakaja named Nairobi County Secretary Jairus Musumba as a representative of the Secretariat.
“The taskforce shall prepare and submit its report to the Governor of Nairobi City County Government together with its recommendations within 45 days from the date of its appointment,” Sakaja stated.
Other members of the taskforce include Dr. Anastacia Nyalita, Dr. Githinji Gitahi, Dorcas Kemunto, Dr. Mercy Mwangangi, Dr. William Fryda and Karei Mwenda as members of the taskforce.
In addition, the taskforce will advise or help on any area they may find necessary.
Sakaja’s move to appoint a taskforce comes just days after he made an impromptu visit at the Mama Lucy hospital and was dismayed at the condition of the facility.
During his visit, Sakaja found patients sharing beds, patients not being attended to on time, drugs not being available and a lot more.
“On behalf of the government of Nairobi, I want to apologize to the people of Nairobi. I think we’ve not been serving you well. There is a lot that leaves to be desired here,” Sakaja stated during his first visit to the facility.
The hospital was recently on the spot following the death of a 28-year-old woman who died after delivering twins on September 6, after reportedly bleeding to death.
The incident elicited public uproar, with most Kenyans accusing the medics of negligence.
Nairobi residents have been lamenting the poor state of public health facilities in the county, coupled up with lack of drugs and inattentive medics.