Dying Kapenguria hospital pain in neck of Pokots – Weekly Citizen

Kapenguria Level Five Referral Hospital after over 20 doctors resigned from their jobs, as residents continue to lose lives, accusing Governor John Lonyangapou of using the hospital as a business hub.
The medical practitioners who have resigned have taken other roles in the neighbouring Moi Referral Hospital in Eldoret, while the remaining ones have low morale to serve the ailing Pokots. They now sayLonyangapou has appointed arrogant, irresponsible and incompetent executives in the names of Geoffrey Lipale and Milka Psiwa.
Members of Parliament drawn from the four constituencies, that include Mark Lomolokol of Kacheliba, Samuel Moroto, Kapenguria, Peter Lochakapong, Sigor and David Pkosing, Pokot South, together women representative Joyce Tomtom said Lipale is the main cause of all negligence and demoralisation of the medical practitioners in the entire county.
Speaking separately in Kapenguria town, the legislators said that, equally, the chief officer Psiwa who has announced her intentions of contesting for the Saboti seat has no knowledge and expertise of health and must to be removed with immediate effect otherwise Pokots will continue to lose lives.

The leaders who also included Rev John Lodinyo and former Sigor MP Philip Rotino said that the two have mishandled the entire health sector in West Pokot county saying senior doctors were transferred to sub-county health centres such as Kacheliba, Sigor, Chepareria, and Kabichibichi where they are under junior staff elevated to the same positions politically to supervise their seniors.
The outcome of such has demoralised staff and has led to go-slow strikes resulting to deaths of Pokots in Kapenguria Referral Hospital.
“Where do these drugs that Governor Lonyangapou launches in huge boxes go?” Moroto asked and wondered why Pokots are still dying in government hospital saying they had information that the drugs being launched by Lonyangapou in huge boxes were indeed empty cartons with no drugs.
The leaders further demanded to be told why all the expensive equipment that was bought by the immediate governor Simon Kachapin like ICU equipment have been kept in the store while hundreds of Pokots are dying.
The leaders said that Governor Lonyangapou’s political strength during the 2017/18 campaigns was to offer a helicopter ambulance which has remained a pipe dream. “Little did we know that he meant to buy hearse that is seen every day in the Pokot land,” another said.
The leaders demanded that Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission should audit the use of the hearse as those seeking the services of the vehicle are asked to pay a fee and wondered where the money goes to.
“We are told by the drivers of the hearse that they service the hearse twice a month, meaning that it is the most used vehicle due to several deaths in the community,” Moroto said.
“A hearse is a bad omen to the Pokot traditions and beliefs, but Lonyangapou has the guts to impress the community it is a good project because he promised the helicopter ambulance which he has failed to deliver,” Lodinyo added.
The legislators who included Senator Samuel Poghisio say that Kapenguria Referral Hospital does not have the hospital evaluations committee since Lonyangapou took over, as the committee that had been tasked with looking to the affairs of the hospital used to sit at least twice a month as a result there is no team work in the hospital resulting to deaths.
Senator Poghisio said the promised Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Hospital of Sh1.5 billion is just but a pipe dream and attempt to hoodwink the Pokots that he is working saying the available funds are efficient to improve Kapenguria Referral Hospital.
The Sh1.5 billion memorial hospital is a welcomed idea but that will take ages to build and we cannot use it as a tool to allow our people die at this rate.