Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok has launched a three-bed intensive care unit and a four-bed high dependency unit at Lodwar County Referral Hospital to manage severe cases of Covid-19.
Governor Nanok also inaugurated three new ambulances to support referral cases as part of plans to replace the existing fleet. The governor said the facilities are a preparation to handle critical cases of Covid-19.
“The last time I was here, it was still under construction. I’m glad to see it’s fully operational. It is the first time we have an ICU and HDU wing in Turkana. The ICU has three beds and HDU has four beds with three ventilators and we have plans to increase ICU beds to 13,” Nanok said.
Seven ICU beds will be at the county referral hospital and two each at Kanamkemer, Lokichar and Kakuma subcounty hospitals.
President Uhuru Kenyatta directed counties to set a minimum of 300 isolation facilities for Covid-19. Turkana has 154 beds.
Nanok said the county government will increase the current beds to 365 in the next three weeks.
The UN refugee agency is supporting the county government to set up a testing centre in Kakuma.
“Another good news is that the UNHCR listened to our prayer and we are establishing a test centre in Kakuma which will cut costs because we had to take our samples to Kisumu and Eldoret. We also have plans to establish a test laboratory at Lodwar County Referral Hospital,” he said.
Governor Nanok said the majority of Covid-19 cases reported in Turkana were of truck drivers who had travelled from South Sudan through Nadapal to Kenya.
He said the seven drivers who were isolated in Turkana West were moved to Kanamkemer Subcounty Hospital in isolation centre awaiting their test results.
Governor Nanok promised payment Sh46 million as allowances to frontline health workers.
Edited by Henry Makori
