Despite noble intentions by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, most of the Beyond Zero clinics in the country are not serving the purpose for which they were intended.
In Mombasa the Sh1 billion portable clinics lying idle at the National Youth Service (NYS) camp were vandalised and medical equipment worth millions of shillings stolen.
This emerged on Thursday during an inspection tour by the National Assembly’s Health committee.
MPs were shocked to establish that some of the imported equipment in the multimillion-shilling potable clinics were missing, damaged or had rusted and therefore cannot be used.
However despite this, Ministry of Health is demanding to be allocated Sh600 million to transport the 40-foot container clinics to various counties across the nation.
The MPs, led by committee deputy chairman Swarup Mishr, now wants Health Cabinet secretary Sicily Kariuki and the supplier arrested over the tender. He said there was no value for money paid by the government.
Last year’s spot check revealed most of the clinics are struggling with inadequate health personnel and lack of basic items such as laboratory reagents, water, and detergents.
Workers at the Kianda 42 clinic at Kibera’s terminus 42 also have to use their own money to buy essential items for the facility.
“There are no funds allocated for miscellaneous usage. We use our own money,” said a nurse then.
A nurse another facilities who spoke to us on condition of anonymity said: “We are tired of complaining. Same old grievances, but nothing changes through the years”.