Boka residents in Tana River county stay three months without health services

The abandoned Boka dispensary in Bangale ward, Bura subcounty, Tana River County / BRIAN OTIENO

Residents of Boka location in Bangale ward, Tana River County say they have been missing health services in their area for the last three months.

This is after the only two nurses that were operating in the dispensary were withdrawn by the county.

According to Maulid Abdi Ali, an elder and former Bangale councilor, one of the nurses had an altercation with a member of a management committee formed to oversee the operation of the dispensary.

“The altercation was as a result of allegations of embezzlement of some Sh50,000, funds meant for the dispensary,” Abdi said.

The nurse then reported the matter as assault and was withdrawn, according to Abdi.

The other nurse, seeing that the situation was tense, also left the station.

“Three or four months down the line, we have not seen any operation in the dispensary. Now we have to go all the way to Bangale town for services,” Abdi said.

Already, a pregnant woman lost her baby upon arrival at a health centre in Bangale after doctors had to save her life and sacrifice that of the child.

“We believe had she received medical care here at Boka instead of wasting time traveling 70km away for the same services, she would not have lost her child,” Abdi said.

Another woman lost her life because she could not get any medical services at the level 2 facility, the residents said.

“As residents we expected that when we reported embezzlement of funds the people in charge at the dispensary will be handcuffed. Instead, we saw the dispensary handcuffed,” Abdi said.

“We now regret why we reported that embezzlement. We have learned our lesson. We will not report any embezzlement. Let them embezzle. So long as the dispensary remains operational,” Abdi said.

He said they now survive under services of quack health practitioners who at least try to give medical services.

“It is better that way because we have no money to go to some place 70km away,” Abdi said.

Area MCA Jibril Farah alleged that the nurse in charge influenced the formation of a friendly committee where they withdrew funds meant for the dispensary without proper procedure.

“They wrote minutes for a first meeting and used the minutes to withdraw some funds. The second time they withdrew some funds from the dispensaries account without any minutes,” Farah said.

According to the MCA, the nurse in charge and the chair of the management committee at some point disagreed and were involved in a physical altercation.

Farah said the other nurse, who had served with the nurse-in-charge at the dispensary for almost 13 years, felt insecure and left.

The dispensary served about 200 households in the area, according to MCA Farah.

However, he said he has had meetings with the county health executive Joshua Jarha, and soon other nurses will be deployed to the dispensary.

“The main problem is that the county has failed to replace the nurses in time. But processes have taken place and end of this month they will deploy nurses to the dispensary,” Farah said.

“Let us give them time. If by the end of this month they will not have deployed nurses there, I will call you. But as of now, they have even prepared those who will be deployed there,” Farah said.

Asked about the status of the dispensary, county health executive Jarha told the Star he will only talk to the community and not the media.

“I only give the status on such issues to the community. Are you their lawyer?” Jarha told the Star on phone.

He said normally, the committee is the one which runs the dispensary.

“So, if they told you so then they should get the status from their committee. The committee which they elected,” Jarha told the Star.

Instant Analysis:

Health is a devolved function meaning the responsibility of providing health services, including management, planning and financing has been transferred from the national government to the 47 semi-autonomous county governments.

Devolution seeks to bring decision-making closer to the people, but has led to challenges in human resource management, funding and coordination while also offering opportunities for innovative, localized solutions and improved services.