Governor Wa Iria to sack clinicians who refer patients to private labs

Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria has threatened to sack clinicians and superintendents who refer patients to private laboratories.

The governor was speaking after an impromptu visit to Murang’a General Hospital on Thursday where he found majority of patients had been referred to private laboratories.

“I can’t understand why doctors would send patients to a private laboratory for basic tests whereas the service is available in Murang’a General Hospital which is a Level V hospital. This is inappropriate unless the laboratory is a Level Six medical facility,” Wa Iria said.

The second term governor said that the clinicians have been referring the patients to specific private laboratories feigning lack of re-agents in Murang’a General Hospital.

The visibly agitated governor directed the County Executive Committee Member (CEC) Joseph Mbai to relocate his workstation to the hospital to take charge of the County’s Health operations.

“The minister for health will shift and will be operating from the hospital from today so that if anything goes wrong in the hospital then he takes direct responsibility,” said wa Iria.

Wa Iria further alleged that the clinicians are colluding with the private laboratories an action that is in contravention of the medical practitioners code of conduct.

“This has to stop. I have given instructions that any referral from the hospital must be signed by the hospital superintendent who will forward the list to the county government every evening. That will apply for both laboratory tests and medical checkups, it is within our range because we have a budget of Ksh.700 million to buy medical supplies,” said wa Iria.

The hospital’s management was at pains to explain why the facility was short of medical supplies claiming that the supplier had delayed delivery.