Residents of Wajir are relieved after the county bought a new backup generator for the Wajir County Referral Hospital.
The facility has in the last two months been making headlines for the wrong reasons.
There were allegations that healthcare workers were using torches while attending to patients.
It was also alleged that there were infant deaths due to blackouts at the hospital.
The incidents were condemned by leaders, residents and activists who accused the county of doing little to address the situation, hence, risking lives.
On Monday, Governor Ahmed Mukhtar inspected the newly installed 500KVA (kilovolt-ampere) high powered automatic generator.
He said, the old 150KVA generator that has been serviced, will serve as a substitute for the new generator.
“I am delighted by this development. As an administration, we have been working to ensure we address this problem,” Mukhtar said.
“I also dismiss claims on social media that we lost four babies due to a power outage at the hospital, those are just exaggerations. I appeal to the people to stop spreading lies that will taint the county's image.”
The facility, first built by the Italians in the 1940s, partly caused the fall of former Governor Mohamed Abdi who was impeached by the county assembly mid last year for failing to manage the health sector.
The motion was then moved to the Senate where a House committee chaired by Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni found the governor culpable of running down the health care system, compromising the right to health of the residents.
This is after 25 senators out of 47 upheld the impeachment of Abdi by the county assembly.
After his impeachment, his deputy Ahmed Ali Mukhtar was sworn into office as the third Wajir governor.
Accompanied by the county secretary Abdullahi Hassan, Governor Ahmed met with the health department staff, healthcare service providers, unionists and the Wajir hospital management to end boycotts.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
