24 July 2008
Nairobi — A total of 1,600 nurses are to be recruited in the next few weeks.
"We are targeting at least 1,600 to alleviate the shortage in public facilities and also ensure that every dispensary has a nurse as the regulations require," Medical Services minister, Anyang' Nyong'o, said on Wednesday in Parliament.
The minister was responding to a supplementary question by Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo (ODM-K) on the shortage of nurses in public hospitals.
Mr Kilonzo had wanted to know the steps being taken to ensure all dispensaries constructed using Constituency Development Fund (CDF) had medical officers and drugs.
Dispensaries
In reply, Prof Nyong'o said the 995 CDF dispensaries constructed in the last two years, were entitled to nurses and drugs from the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency.
Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi (Kanu) asked the ministry to also take over abandoned dispensaries that were previously operated by NGOs.
In response, the minister said there was an ongoing audit of all dispensaries and those that qualify will be taken over.
At the same time, the minister told private hospitals to reduce the fees charged on blood transfusion. Prof Nyong'o said it is unethical for them to charge Sh6,000 for blood transfusion.
He said the maximum fee charged should be Sh3,000 because the blood was bought from the National Blood Transfusion Services at Sh300.
The minister was replying to a question by Kisumu Town East MP Shakeel Shabir (ODM) on the shortage of blood in hospitals.
Insecurity
And, Internal Security assistant minister Orwa Ojode said senior police officers will be posted to the new districts.
He said the posting of the officers was delayed by the failure of respective areas to build divisional police headquarters.
He was responding to a supplementary question by Wajir South MP Abdirahman Hassan Ali (Kanu) who accused the Government of failing to tame insecurity in new districts created in the last years of retired President Daniel Moi's rule and the first term of President Kibaki.
Mr Hassan said the Office of the President should not use the excuse of lack of buildings to condone insecurity. "Can the Government post police officers to all newly created districts?" He asked.
The matter came up as Mr Ojode was replying to a question by Kandara MP Maina Kamau (PNU) who complained of escalation of crime in Kandara.
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