The number of ventilators in Nyeri county has almost doubled after USAID on Thursday donated 14 more worth Sh16.8 million.
The donation has raised the total number of ventilators in the county to 33.
The 14 are part of 200 ventilators donated to Kenya by the USA.
Of the new ventilators, 10 are meant for county public hospitals, while four are for Kenyatta National Hospital - Othaya Annex.
The county had only 19 ventilators in both public and private hospitals.
Nyeri County Referral Hospital had 10 working ventilators, Mt Kenya Hospital's isolation unit had one while Consolata and Outspan hospitals, both private hospitals, had four each.
USAID representative Peter Waithaka said on Thursday the intent of the donation was in response to a conversation between President Donald Trump and President Uhuru Kenyatta in which the US government pledged a donation of ventilators to support Kenya’s health sector.
“In addition to the ventilators, the US is providing training to properly operate them as well as the medical consumables needed to put them to use and protect them from power fluctuation,” he said.
The ventilators come with a one-year warranty service contract to ensure that any issues are immediately fixed, especially during this time of Covid-19.
Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga who received the donation outside his office, said so far 1,134 people in the county have tested positive for Covid-19. He said the ventilators would increase the county’s capacity in dealing with Covid-19, he said.
“On behalf of the 757,000 citizens of Nyeri, we appreciate your move of standing with us when we needed assistance,” Kahiga, who termed the donation as the best Christmas gift for Nyeri people, said.
