Abandoned Leyai Dispensary built nine years ago by the county government of Marsabit. Residents have called on the department of health to renovate and resume operations, to ease their burden in search of healthcare services. Photo: Courtesy.
Residents of Leyai Saku in Karare Ward in Marsabit County, have raised concerns after failing to receive healthcare services from Leyai Dispensary that was built nine years ago.
The residents have criticized the Marsabit County government Department of Health, for failing to follow up and ignoring the sorry state of the dispensary that was built in 2016.
According to the residents, accessing healthcare services has been a challenge, including being forced to travel long distances to Songa village or Marsabit Town to receive treatment.
“As residents of Leyai we have been disadvantage in terms of healthcare, this facility was built in 2016 it has no medicines, it has been abandoned ever since its construction. The situation is even worse for pregnant women and children when looking for treatment. The Bodaboda riders are our hope in times of emergency. Our roads are impassable,” a woman from the area lamented.
However, she lauded the Community Health Providers (CHPs), in the area as the current hope, as they have been providing residents with first aid services before actual treatment by medical officers. They also lamented on the poor state of roads a challenge to access patients in critical condition in hospitals.
“It is very difficult to access services for patients requiring emergency services due to our roads, in some instances mothers have given birth on the roads. But the CHPs have been of importance in our area, as we never lack drips, medicines and other first aid services, but as residents we demand for better services near us,” she further lamented.
Mama Leiya’s sentiments were echoed by human rights activist from Marsabit Mohamed Hassan, who stated that the residents’ basic right of access to better and quality healthcare is being undermined by the county government.
“Nothing is operating; the facility is the dirtiest and the compound is bushy. This facility needs to be equipped, with medicines and officers, as in its current form, the Department of Health is clearly undermining the basic right of access to healthcare for the residents of Leyai,” he remarked.
Hassan called on the county’s Department of Health to renovate the facility and ensure services resume, as it will ease the burden of residents of Leyai. He urged that since government resources were used in the construction of the facility, and thus they must ensure it resumes operations, to help residents paying taxes to receive better services.
“I want to appeal to the county government of Marsabit and national government, to work on the plight of residents of Leyai, and keep their promise on ensuring each citizen has access to better and quality healthcare. A facility constructed by tax payers’, money and not benefitting them is useless, renovate the facility and ensure services are on,” he pleaded.
Their cry comes after residents of Dakabaricha outcried closure of Dakabaricha Hospital following debt with the land owner, which had not been settled, Making it difficult to access healthcare services.
