Management of Siaya health facilities has expressed concerns over erratic payment of Social Health Authority funds, warning that the issue is severely undermining service delivery.

Speaking at his office at Sigomre health facility, Sigomere Med superintendent Ousbon Odhiambo said that Siaya health facilities are grappling with financial challenges and accumulating debts due to delayed resources.

“There have been erratic payments for healthcare providers, thus derailing quality care services. The SHA challenges have seen key operations derailed,” Odhiambo added.

Odhiambo noted that, as much as they struggle to claim, very minimal is reimbursed, making the running of the facilities a very big challenge.

He cited a pending payment of Ksh4.7 million at Sigomere health centre, which he says translates to approximately 40 per cent of the total claims that the hospital has filed since the inception of SHA.

“That is not inclusive of primary healthcare claims, which are done under capitation, hence making running of the facilities a very big challenge,” he stated.

He also regretted that the National Health Insurance Funds collapsed with their pending bill of Ksh7.56 million.

“When NHIF was closed down, most of the facilities, including Sigomere level IV facility, were left with a pending bill of Ksh7.56 million. If we can be paid, probably some of the challenges we are facing today could be addressed, and I do believe it’s the responsibility of the County government in conjunction with the National government and management of health facilities to support the initiative,” he added.

Odhiambo, at the same time, mentioned some of the infrastructure expansion programs that are going on at the facility, including the maternity complex, whose groundbreaking was done in March 2025.

The project, whose construction is at 80 per cent, offers antenatal, Delivery, and postnatal care services, which are aimed at easing the burden on surrounding health centres.

A similar project was launched at Tingare Health Centre on March 20, and is at 96 per cent complete.

“The Ksh52 million Baby mother unit and laboratory at Tingare health centre in Sigomere ward is 96 per cent complete,” he stated.

The project will feature a laboratory, nutrition room, kitchen, pharmacy, labour ward, postnatal room, and triage area, among other amenities.

“The new maternity will have a 40-bed capacity that will serve residents of Tingare and neighbouring Kakamega County,” the Nurse in charge at the health centre said.