The Mombasa County Government will hire 447 health workers on short-term contracts to address a surge in patients seeking treatment under the county’s free healthcare programme (BabaCare).
Governor Abdullswamad Sheriff Nassir said the additional personnel will be deployed across health facilities based on their individual staffing needs, with those already in the county’s recruitment database expected to receive appointment letters.
Nassir said the decision was prompted by a sharp increase in patient numbers since the county launched its free healthcare programme for the month of October (Baba Month) in remembrance of the late ODM party leader Raila Odinga.
He said some facilities are currently receiving about four times their normal daily patient numbers, with the influx comprising both Mombasa residents who had previously stayed home despite being ill and patients travelling from other parts of the country.
“The number of patients that we are currently seeing is four times or probably a bit more than what we see on a normal day-to-day basis,” Nassir said.
The governor said the 447 workers will initially be engaged on short-term contracts because of the urgency of the situation, with the possibility of converting some of the positions into longer-term employment depending on future needs.
He said the county could not undertake a lengthy recruitment and advertising process because the additional staff are required immediately.
Nassir said health facilities had mapped their staffing requirements, including clinical officers, nurses and other personnel, before submitting requests for additional workers.
The county has also engaged the Digital Health Authority over the shortage of equipment used to verify patients through the Social Health Authority (SHA) system.
Nassir said the limited number of biometric verification devices was causing delays as more patients sought services, adding that the county was seeking additional equipment to speed up registration.
Another challenge is laboratory capacity, with the county expanding laboratory services as part of equipment that was launched during President William Ruto’s visit to Mombasa.
Nassir said Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital was expected to have its expanded laboratory equipment fully operational within days, while other facilities would also receive additional equipment.
“The other hospitals as well had their labs, but we are now expanding these labs to almost five times the capacity that they were able to handle,” he said.
The governor also said the county was working with the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) to ensure health facilities maintain adequate medicine stocks during the programme.
He said facilities had been instructed to order supplies in advance to prevent shortages as patient numbers remain high.
Nassir said the county had recorded a strong response to the free healthcare initiative, with many patients being treated and discharged instead of remaining admitted for extended periods.
He maintained that the programme was part of his administration’s longer-term plan for the county and was not limited to the 2027 election cycle.
“My vision is not up to 2027. Let us make that very clear. My vision is up to 2032. This is a continuous process,” he said.
Nassir said the county would assess the impact of the October programme before making further decisions on its continuation and staffing requirements.
He also said Mombasa had preparedness measures in place to respond to Ebola or other potential disease outbreaks, including trained personnel and contingency plans for protective equipment and patient management.
The governor said the county expected the current surge in patients to stabilise as the month progresses.