ABSTRACT

Contrary to the provisions in the Constitution under the Bill of Rights that access to equitable healthcare is a right to every Kenyan health, health indicators. Garissa County are very poor, particularly for women and children, with high maternal, infant and child mortality, high levels of acute malnutrition, and low immunization coverage. The health service infrastructure is particularly poor, with few and scattered health facilities staffed by inadequate numbers of personnel. Distances to referral facilities are usually much longer, on poorer roads, than in other parts of the country. Poor facilities are also a major cause of ill-health. This study therefore aimed to assess the influence of devolved health functions on service delivery, the case of Garissa County health services. The specific objectives were; to determine the influence of financial allocations/budget on health service delivery in Garissa County, to establish whether staffs are adequate in the provision of efficient and effective health services in Garissa County and to examine the adequacy of health equipment and infrastructure to effectively provide quality health services in Garissa County. The two theories that were used are decentralization theory and transformation theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The study target population was medical personnel, and patients in Garissa County who are 1233 medical personnel and the patients receiving treatment were 100,651 giving a total of 101884. The sample size was 384 respondents. This was arrived at by using Fishers formula for a target population of more than 10000. The study used primary data. The data was collected through the administration of questionnaires. Preliminary analysis using the pilot test data was undertaken to ensure that the data collected enables the investigative questions to be answered. The results of the study showed that financial allocation, staff adequacy and equipment are positively and significantly related to health services delivery in Garissa County. The study recommended that the ministry of health should ensure that there is good proportion between workers and patients. The qualification and the performance of the workers should be assessed to ensure the quality of service delivery. Further, the workers should be motivated to perform their tasks by giving them incentives and paying them on time.