A task force on the transformation of the health sector in Mombasa County has come up with a raft of recommendations including urging the county government to open rehabilitation centres to handle thousands of drug addicts in the area.
The report recommended the designation of hospitals and health centres in various parts of the county to offer specialised services.
Task force chairman, Dr Chibanzi Mwachonda, said the report also recommended the digitisation of health records, massive registration of most of the 3,600 community health workers (CHW) for the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and leasing of modern equipment to improve health services in the county.
On provision of health services, Tudor hospital will handle child and maternity cases, Utange hospital will deal with infectious diseases and Mvita clinic will specialise in eye, ear, nose and throat issues.
Dr Mwachonda handed over the report to Governor Abdulswamad Nassir in his office yesterday who commended the team saying the recommendations will enable him to institute major reforms in the health sector. The team which was appointed by the governor in September last year was mandated to critically look into the myriad of problems facing the health sector in the county over the years and recommend plans to transform it.
Nassir said Mombasa will soon establish its own rehabilitation centre to cater for the large number of drug addicts who comprise the youth.
“The county secretary will write to the county Assembly and forward this report. We are going to implement it after approval by the Assembly,” Nassir said.
A report by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) released last year, indicated that there were about one million residents abusing drugs in the Coast region.
The report indicated that the port city of Mombasa was the hardest hit by the drug menace with over 323,000 addicts or 34 per cent of the county population said to be abusing at least one substance or the other.
Mombasa county has private drug rehabilitation centres, but no public rehabilitation centres, save for the only one state facility at Miritini that is managed by the national government.
This has proved expensive for those who seek rehabilitation services as the private facilities charge high fees beyond the reach of many families.
Nassir said the county government was keen to establish a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts as a mitigation measure following the rising demand.
The task force also recommended the upscaling of NHIF members from the current 40,000 to attain universal healthcare coverage.
