The Vihiga Health department has received Sh10 million non-pharmaceutical medical equipment from the World Bank.
The equipment includes 14 autoclaves, 79 paediatric weighing scales, 79 adult weighing scales, 100 waste-corded bins with peddles and 1,666 bin liners and disposable syringes.
Governor Wilber Ottichilo, who received the items at the Vihiga County Referral Hospital on Monday, said his administration is committed to equipping all health facilities with medical and non-pharmaceutical equipment
The World Bank will also sponsor training to strengthen community health strategy.
The county has in the past year strengthened laboratories in all health facilities, installed a CT scan and launched a cardiac centre.
“The referral hospital was in a pathetic state when I took over, but services have improved greatly in one-and-half years I have been in office. We’re going to build a medical warehouse to ensure uninterrupted medical supplies,” the county chief said.
The county has registered an increase in people seeking services at the referral hospital due to improved health services, he said. Some come from neighbouring counties.
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union secretary general Ouma Oluga and county health services CEC Amos Kutwa accompanied the governor.
Dr. Oluga commended the county’s efforts to develop healthcare services.
Last Friday, Ottichilo commissioned solar water heaters at the referral hospital to warm bathing water for patients.
He said the hospital has also completed piping for oxygen to discontinue the use of gas cylinders.
“All health facilities in the county will be fitted with solar water heating equipment to cut down on electricity bills that sometimes disrupt services,” he said.
Ottichilo said the county had a shortage of health caregivers.
He said his administration has built 12 new facilities that remain unused due to lack of manpower.
“We expect the assembly to allocate money in the next fiscal year budget for the hiring of more staff,” he said.
