Laikipia County has unveiled a state of the art Intensive Care Unit facility at the Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital – By Gerald Gekara.
This is in line with the directive of President Uhuru Kenyatta to have county governments establish an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) infrastructure within counties, in order to assist in the fight against coronavirus.
The ICU ward has been installed with five ventilator machines which cost the County Government Ksh. 35 million.
Governor Ndiritu Muriithi while addressing the launch, said his administration will inject another Ksh 35 million for the purchase and installation of ventilator machines at the Nyahururu County Hospital.
Other facilities provided include syringe pumps, pulse oximeters, multipurpose patient monitors, suction machines, infusion pumps, and defibrillators.
The County is targeting to have 328 bed capacity at the isolation center.
The Government disbursed a conditional grant of Kshs. 5 billion to all the 47 counties aimed at bolstering the level of readiness in the health facilities.
While making the announcement today Health Cabinet Secretary, Mutahi Kagwe advised the counties to prioritize their needs in accordance with the funds provided.
He emphasized that “It is upon the County Governments to utilize these funds to safeguard the lives of the people and noted that counties should ensure that the local health facilities are well equipped, and healthcare workers are adequately catered for.”
“If our Counties are fully prepared and have the necessary infrastructure in place, then we shall have nothing to worry about,” he added and noted that this does not mean the money will replace what the Ministry has been supporting in terms PPE supply and others.
