- While officially opening the facility on Wednesday, Marsabit County Deputy Governor Solomon Gubo commended the organization for prioritizing health infrastructure.
- The Lake Turkana Wind Power constructed and equipped the ward through its Winds of Change project.
Image: ABDIKADIR CHARI
Residents of the Laisamis sub-county in Marsabit county have been handed relief following the construction of a 22-bed capacity male ward.
The Lake Turkana Wind Power constructed and equipped the ward through its Winds of Change project.
The project will expand the inpatient capacity and strengthen the provision of quality health services to the area residents.
While officially opening the facility on Wednesday, Marsabit County Deputy Governor Solomon Gubo commended the organization for prioritizing health infrastructure.
"The construction and equipping of this 22-bed capacity male ward will reduce treatment costs for the locals who used to rely on private health facilities for healthcare," he said
The Deputy Governor said the county government, in partnership with the development partners, will invest in improving health facilities in the region to ensure residents have access to health services.
"We want to partner with development partners to bring services closer to the people. Health issues are very sensitive and need to be handled with a lot of care," he said
The Deputy Governor said there was a major infrastructure upgrade to transform the county hospital in Laisamis and decongest the county's referral hospital.
He said the construction of an X-ray block funded through an equalization fund, a modern maternity theatre supported by the Safaricom foundation, renovation of an outpatient building and internet connectivity by the county government is underway at the hospital.
He said the hospital will soon offer kidney dialysis as the county government plans to construct a renal unit for Sh5 million.
"Working with the development partners and National government, we have embarked on a major infrastructure upgrade for the hospital which is to be a fully-fledged level 4 hospital. The hospital will improve healthcare services provision for our people," he said
He assured residents that the county government under the administration of Governor Mohamud Ali is determined to bring affordable and quality healthcare services to its people.
"We are committed to decentralizing equal and best healthcare services to the grassroots to benefit the common citizens," he said
He said the county government has invested a lot in the health department to revolutionise the region's health status by ensuring that they reduce mortality rates among expectant mothers and children.
"The county government is working hard to bring the healthcare services closer to its people and improve road network for easy movement," he said.
CECM Health Grace Galmo Boru said the new male ward will decongest the facility adding that the project marks a pivotal moment in bolstering healthcare services in the area.
The health executive reiterated the county government's commitment to ensure quality and accessible healthcare services.
She said the ongoing projects are meant to address the healthcare needs of the people in the region and bridge the gap in the distribution of healthcare services in the county.
Speaking during the event, Chief Finance Officer of Lake Turkana Wind Power Alice Wathika said her organization had for the past years provided similar development projects in the area as part of its social responsibility to the people to promote quality healthcare services.
She said they considered a proposal by the community to develop the ward.
"The Lake Turkana wind power through winds of change project drilled boreholes, constructed concrete tanks, instillation of solar pumps and construct a 10-bed capacity maternity ward and ablution block in various areas in Laisamis constituency," she said.
Wathika said her organization partnered with the county government for easy access to quality healthcare services by ensuring healthy lives.
"We are working on improving health outcomes and helping residents to achieve universal health coverage," she said
Lake Turkana wind power community liaison manager Job Lengoya said they invested sh 15.3 million for the construction and equipping of the male ward.
"The new ward will improve access to healthcare services and reduce the distance covered when searching for healthcare," he said.
He said the sub-county which has higher cases of kalazar will benefit from the ward.
The community liaison manager at the organization said they will have a memorandum of understanding with the county government to ensure that once the projects are completed, the county government will hire manpower.