By Okong’o Oduya
Busia County residents have raised concerns over the poor and pathetic state of Busia County Referral Hospital Mortuary .
They noted that state of the morgue is forcing them to take bodies of loved ones to other private facilities.
According to them bodies removed from the facility are usually rotten despite having paid 200 Ksh preservation fee needed by the hospital management. The facility can only accommodate 20 bodies but for now there are more than the required number.
“When we take the bodies of our loved ones from the morgue at the hospital we find them in pathetic condition, they are all rotten smelling and maggots are all over them. This sends a picture that they are hardly attended to yet we pay for the services”, Eric Makokha.
While addressing people at Busia polytechnic ground during Labor Day celebrations Makokha raised concerns to the county governor Sospeter Ojaamong to intervene and find a solution. He urged the governor to form a technical team to look into the issue and find a long lasting solution.
The residents of the county noted that whatever is happening at the mortuary is sending a bad picture about the hospital and the leadership of the county.
“The situation here is giving us a no option but to seek for services from other private hospitals to keep the bodies of our loved ones in good condition”, said a concerned resident adding that this shows that the county government is unable to handle the health sector.
According to the inner source information, lack of enough drugs to preserve bodies and the action taken by Kenya power recently to disconnect electricity from the hospital over outstanding bill of more than sh400, 000 has also played a role in the current situation at the morgue.
However the county governor directed the blame to the hospital administration which he said need to be streamlined to improve the health status at the hospital. It is a move that has raised mixed sentiments from the elected leaders from the county who expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which issues are being handles and solved by the county government’s leadership.
“I have never seen nor heard anywhere that the electricity has been disconnected in any referral hospital. The sector receives a huge share of budget there is no way services will be poor if the money is being utilized effectively,” Ababu Namwamba, Budalangi MP said.
