Kisii to build regional hub for healthcare research

Kisii county and Kisii University have set aside 100 acres for the construction of a multibillion-shilling regional hub for healthcare research, innovation and training of advanced level medical personnel.

The project once completed will assist counties in accelerating the achievement of the Universal Health Coverage pillar of the government's Big 4 Agenda.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and the leadership team of the Kenya-UK Health Alliance (KUKHA) agreed on the implementation of the broad strategic partnership including the rollout of the Jomo Kenyatta Scholarship programme and the building of a state-of-the-art training center at Kisii University.

On Tuesday, UK High Commissioner Jane Marriott and Kisii Governor James Ongwae reiterated their commitment in ensuring that the project takes off.

Kisii will be a hub where Maseno, Masinde Muliro, and Egerton universities will be under.

Ongwae said that last month, he accompanied President Uhuru Kenyatta to the UK where the president signed a Memorandum of Understanding to kick start the expansion of the Kisii university medical school.

The center of excellence which is an initiative of the county government will be established Nyosia in Nyaribari Chache subcounty.

"The visit by the British High Commissioner to Kenya is an opportunity for follow up on the MoU signed between the Manchester University and Kisii University on the establishment of a centre of excellence in medical training at Kisii University,” he said.

The county government has since facilitated Kisii University to copy an already running school of Medicine at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Marriott said UK is committed to supporting the project in Kisii in collaboration with the Kenyan government.

"We are committed to fulfilling our part. Our aim is to transform lives and stimulate the economy. We have seen the great things that devolution has achieved here in Kisii county. On health,  Kisii has been a trailblazer in cancer treatment by establishing a cancer center and partnering with Manchester University and Christie University,” she said.

Ongwae said they had secured collaborations with UK Universities to help the Kisii county healthcare workers offer quality health services to the public.

“As a county, we continue to implement the president’s Health pillar that is anchored in the Big Four Agenda and more so in achieving Universal Health Care (UHC).”

Kisii County is putting up a Cancer Centre with funding from the Kenya government and the Arab Bank for International Development and Saudi government.

The bidding for the construction of the cancer centers is set for next week. The center will be the second largest in Kenya and the only cancer center in Western Region with a 75-bed capacity.

Through the discussions, Staffordshire University and Kisii county will collaborate in Digital teaching. There will be an emergency and simulation teaching which will be a form of experiential learning. The governor secured two scholarship opportunities every year in the area of emergency and paramedics for the county health staff.

Kisii University vice chancellor John Akama hailed the collaboration, saying that it was a step towards a build-up on the human resource factor in the health service sector.

Edited by CM