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Ministry, counties in talks to put mobile clinics into use

mobile clinics
The Ministry of Health is set to meet counties to discuss the ability of the controversy-ridden mobile clinics scheme to run on its own.
Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache said counties had applied and identified areas within their jurisdictions suitable for the clinics.
In the initial communication, the counties had agreed to run the scheme, which made news for the exorbitant cost incurred in purchasing the containers.
However, Ms Mochache said counties will need to take care of human resources that will work in the clinics, but the government will support them.
In April, she told the parliamentary health committee that the ministry would require cash to hire some 400 personnel to manage the clinics.
It is not clear what changed this position and now it will be upon the counties to hire personnel.
RESOURCES
It is also not clear if the counties will agree to take care of the additional cost that was never factored in the initial procurement.
“The clinics need human resources, including nurses, community health workers, public health officers, consumables and a few equipment for them to be operational,” Ms Mochache said.
The counties that were initially set to receive the clinics include Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Murang’a, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Kericho, Nakuru, Nandi, Nakuru and Makueni.
Ms Mochache said the clinics need to be fitted with toilets and water supply, which will be done by her Public Works counterpart in the next few weeks. All these costs were never disclosed before.
The last batch of the containers came in on Sunday night under tight security of General Service Unit officers and were stored at Mathari hospital awaiting distribution.
The 70 containers are for western and north rift counties. The ones for coastal counties were taken to Shimo la Tewa awaiting transportation. Ms Mochache said the containers were ferried to Nairobi to be fitted and distributed to counties.

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