Omtatah condemns health report, calls Busia hospitals 'death traps'

A Senate committee meeting nearly ended early yesterday after some senators raised concerns over an audit report on the state of Busia County health facilities.

The Senators criticised the report, calling it a contrast to what is actually on the ground and the issues it raised.

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah said most of the health facilities in the county have become death traps for pregnant women, yet the report failed to highlight the dire conditions of such facilities. 

He protested the underwhelming questions, stating that the report does not accurately reflect the reality on the ground.

Omtatah told the Senate Public Investment and Special Funds Committee that the deaths of expectant women during childbirth have become common in Busia due to the poor state of the health facilities in the border county, calling for immediate action to address the crisis.

“I would like to inform this Senate Committee that the report here is completely fictitious and does not reflect reality on the ground. I am requesting that members of this committee should visit Busia County and see for themselves what is happening,” said Omtatah.

The senator also pointed out to the committee, chaired by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, that the report for the financial year ending June 2024 only raised concerns about a Sh5.1 million unsupported transfer to various dispensaries in the county, without any supporting documents.

Public Relations exercise

Omtatah also raised another concern regarding the under funding of Sh21.5 million and a budget deficit, with only 51 per cent of the budget being spent. He accused the auditors of engaging in a public relations exercise and claimed complicity between the Auditor General’s office and the county government.

Omtatah revealed to Senators that he was kept in the dark about Governor Paul Otuoma’s appearance before the committee until last weekend. He said he was only notified of the meeting two days ago via SMS, instead of the required 14 days’ notice. He also mentioned that he was seeing the documents for the first time.

Omtatah said in January, residents protested the poor state of public health facilities in the county. Many were left with no choice but to seek healthcare services in neighbouring counties, including Bungoma, Vihiga, Siaya, Kisumu, and even as far as Uasin Gishu.

Governor Otuoma told the committee that the challenges faced in his county are not isolated but are part of a nationwide problem. He said blaming each other would not solve the issue and that a better approach was needed to address the crisis.