Health facilities in Siaya County will be required to serve any patient in need of emergency services following the enactment of a new law by the county assembly.
The Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescents Health (RMNCA) act, 2024 which was unveiled after Siaya governor, James Orengo assented to it defines heath as every citizen's right, with health facilities expected to ensure no citizen is denied critical emergency service.
Speaking during the launch of the new law at the Siaya Institute of technology grounds, the county assembly's health committee chairman, Bernard Adala said health facilities with no capacity to handle some situations will be expected to make referrals as fast as possible and not to detain patients longer. "In cases of accident for example, the act is clear that no health facility in Siaya will refuse to offer service to anyone affected by an accident and if the facility cannot offer service, it makes a referral in the shortest time possible" said Adala adding that this was majorly to avoid loss of lives.
He lauded the new law which, he said has established a reproductive health fund that will be ring fenced to ensure sufficient resources. "With foreign aid reducing, the functions or services that we have over the years relied on external support are at risk and as a county, we have planned for them within our resources" said the health committee chairman.
