By Moses Radoli
Kakamega is one of the Counties in the country executing ambitious multi-billion shillings plans to develop health services. The Kakamega County Government is constructing state-of-art Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital at a cost of Sh6 billion.
The 500-bed capacity hospital will specialise in treatment of illnesses like cancer, kidney and diabetes. The new health facility is also expected to help ease pressure on Kakamega County General Hospital which previously served as the Western Provincial General Hospital under the old constitution administrative structures. Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said: “Phase one of the Sh6 billion will begin operations in June this year.”
Mr Oparanya said the county is sourcing for Sh2 billion to buy medical equipment and facilities adding that Phase one, which is built on a 10- acre piece of land, cost Sh1 billion. He said the modern hospital will be the biggest in the region and will serve Kenya and East Africa especially eastern Uganda.
“The estimated total cost of the hospital will be Sh6 billion and will be completed in three phases. We will use another Sh2 billion to equip the hospital with modern equipment.
“Doctors from India will help us offer specialised medication to end long journeys of our people travelling to India for medication,” said the Governor.
Phase one will have the trauma/accident and emergency, obstetrics, gynaecology, ophthalmology, pharmacy, radiology and radiotherapy, the main theatres and wards among other departments.
He said: “The County Government of Kakamega is committed to improving access to quality health care, improving nutritional status of our children, boost immunisation coverage and access to family planning services.” The Governor continued: “On average the county general hospital has been referring two to three cases daily to other referral facilities outside the region for specialised care.
The county government has signed a MoU with Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology to establish a medical school.” Training of medical personnel is expected to attract experts from all over the world and help ease staff shortage across all cadres.
For the past three years, the county government has laid emphasis on provision of quality and affordable medical services to all residents. The other developments are the Kakamega County General Hospital and all level 4 hospitals in the county have been equipped with X-ray and ultra- sound machines.
Governor of Kakamega, Wycliffe Oparanya, inspects the hospital plan Governor of Kakamega, Wycliffe Oparanya, visits the construction site In addition, the county government recently purchased a CT scan machine for the County General Hospital.
On the other hand, the multi- billion shillings hospital will include the outpatient department, gynaecology, radiology, obstetrics, radiotherapy, trauma/accident and emergency, cancer and renal units. According to the MoU with Masinde Muliro University, the institution is to begin training doctors and nurses at the hospital by September 2018.
“The construction of a medical college has been informed by the demand for medical training and inadequate health workers. So far we have a shortage of 1700 nurses. Sometimes we try to recruit but we don’t get the required numbers,” Oparanya said.
He said that the County Government has agreed with the government of India to periodically send their doctors to offer specialised treatment at the multi-billion shilling facility as it prepares to train its own.
