By Tobias Ogutu
Health is one of the most important aspects of life, which is why nations around the world came together to establish the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO focuses on finding ways to improve the health of people globally. At the national level, it is the government’s responsibility to monitor and safeguard the health of its citizens. In Kenya, the government promotes public health through various measures, including vaccination campaigns during pandemics, constructing hospitals and dispensaries, and raising public health awareness. However, for the residents of Obunga, their health is at risk because their local health facility lacks any medicine; in fact, the facility is completely “drug-free.”
The residents of Obunga are concerned and are asking challenging questions to the government. They want to know the government’s intentions regarding the construction of the Obunga dispensary, specifically whether it will be adequately stocked with essential medicines. The residents claim that the dispensary currently lacks even basic painkillers, such as paracetamol. Mary, a young resident of Obunga, explains that the dispensary functions more like a laboratory, conducting only limited tests without providing any treatment to patients.
According to Mary, “If you go to Obunga Dispensary, first you will buy a book, wait in line, and see a doctor. Then, you will be sent to the lab only if the doctor suspects you have malaria. After running the test, you will return to the doctor to confirm the diagnosis. If it is malaria, the doctor will prescribe anti-malarial drugs for you to purchase on your way home.” Mary wonders why even anti-malarial drugs are not available at Obunga Dispensary. She asks if the county government is aware of the dispensary’s existence and pays the staff’s monthly salaries, but why don’t they also monitor the supply of medicines?
Obunga residents appreciate the construction of the dispensary in their area, but are dissatisfied because the facility does not fulfill its intended purpose. A health dispensary without medicine is like a car without an engine. The residents want the county government to start supplying drugs to the facility or to close it, as the services they expected from the dispensary are currently unavailable. Prominent elders from Obunga have stated that they wrote a memorandum to the Ministry of Health to report the dispensary’s condition, but they have yet to see any improvements.
The residents now want the county government to clarify whether they have been supplying medicine to the dispensary. If so, they request an investigation to determine where the drugs have been disappearing.
