The Elgeyo Marakwet County Government is on the spot over poor service delivery in the Health Department which has resulted in the loss of many lives.

Residents who spoke to People Daily yesterday singled out Iten County Referral Hospital as the worst hit, with many equipment said to have broken down.

They claimed some rogue county employees demand for bribes before discharging vital services.

“I was once asked to pay for fuel for an ambulance yet I had a patient who was in a critical condition,” said Festus Kimuron, a resident.

“For emergency cases, kindly don’t go to Iten County Referral Hospital. They have a very active mortuary service than saving lives,” he added.

There was a public uproar last week after the Health Department failed to respond swiftly to an incident where some residents of Kapcherop in Marakwet West sub-county were involved in an accident.

People Daily established that some county officers demanded that families of the victims buy fuel before they would be ferried to hospital. The incident saw irate residents stage demonstrations to Kapcherop Health Centre, complaining over lack of vital medical equipment and medicines at the facility.

“The county government should do a total overhaul in its Health Department for services to improve otherwise we will continue losing innocent lives unnecessarily due to negligence,” said Enock Tum, another resident.

Contacted yesterday, Governor Wisley Rotich acknowledged that his office has received public complaints about some county employees, adding that those found culpable will be dealt with accordingly.