Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi has highlighted significant challenges in his administration related to the pilferage of medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and essential medical items across various health facilities in the county. Despite allocating 40 percent of the annual budget to healthcare, the sector continues to face critical issues, with healthcare workers alone consuming a substantial Sh2 billion.
Speaking at the Wajir Afya House during the commissioning of 200 healthcare workers, Governor Abdullahi revealed that staff attendance problems and the presence of ghost workers have severely impacted service delivery. These issues have compounded the difficulties in managing healthcare resources and ensuring efficient service provision to residents.
To address these challenges, Abdullahi announced the development of an automation plan for human resources at all health facilities, including the county referral hospital. “This plan will help track medical commodities being distributed to various hospitals across the county and assist in the collection of our own generated source of revenue,” said Abdullahi. The automation initiative aims to improve accountability and streamline operations within the healthcare sector.
Governor Abdullahi also highlighted significant progress in healthcare infrastructure, noting that his administration has renovated the Wajir County Referral Hospital, which is slated to be upgraded to a level five hospital. Additionally, 42 new health facilities have been constructed, and 11 others have been renovated. “The idea behind recruiting these healthcare workers is to staff the facilities that have already been built with government funds, ensuring they provide the intended services. We are also constructing a Level Five hospital, which is progressing visibly, and I am hopeful it will be up and running by December,” he explained.
Furthermore, Abdullahi mentioned that his administration is at an advanced stage of upgrading eight level three health centers to level four hospitals. Plans are also underway to upgrade additional level three health centers in Wajir South Constituency, built with the aid of the World Bank project, to level four hospitals. These upgrades aim to enhance healthcare services and accessibility for the residents of Wajir County, addressing long-standing gaps in the healthcare system.
