• County has nine ventilators with an additional 20 being acquired.
• It has also bought 20 ambulances to respond to emergency cases.
Image: DANIEL OGENDO
The Kisumu county government is expanding the Intensive Care Unit capacity at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital from 13 to 29 beds.
Governor Anyang' Nyong’o on Monday said they are acquiring 16 beds for the facility to handle Covid-19 cases.
The expansion is part of the county’s effort to equip hospitals to effectively handle Covid-19 cases. There are nine ventilators with an additional 20 ordered.
The county has also bought 20 ambulances to respond to emergency cases.
Nyong’o spoke while receiving 30 beds donated by Abysinia Iron and Steel Company to a quarantine centre at Lumumba sub-county hospital.
He said they intend to make Lumumba hospital a 70-bed quarantine centre.
“This will bring our quarantine installed capacity to 398. We have KMTC with a 128-bed capacity and we are in the processing of completing a 200-bed centre at Kisumu County Referral Hospital,” the governor said.
Suitable institutions in the subcounties are being identified to be equipped for use as quarantine centres.
The governor commended Abysinia Iron and Steel for the donation.
“This donation comes at a very crucial time when we are making very strategic steps at not just working on prevention but preparing for any eventuality. God forbid there should be a full outbreak of Covid-19,” he said.
The donation comes at a time that the county government is appealing for support towards management of Covid-19 expenses through the Kisumu County Covid-19 Support Fund.
“We continue to appeal to more well-wishers to come forward with both cash and kind donations to help cushion our people from the debilitating effects of this pandemic,” he said.
Nyong’o said that for clinical preparation they have isolation centres at the county and Jaramogi Oginga hospitals.
He said the county has acquired Sunset Hotel to house health workers who will be managing emergency cases to reduce the exposure of health workers.
“We have also reserved Victoria Hospital as an isolation centre of our healthcare workers,” Nyong’o said.
Surveillance and screening of all those coming in through the borders have been intensified, he said.
The county government has also set up five-bed holding centres at Ahero, Kombewa, Pap Onditi, Gita, Chulaimbo and Muhoroni hospitals.
“Over the one month since the first case was reported in the country, we have carried out 50 tests; 18 from the isolation centres (those exhibiting signs) and 32 from quarantine centres. All were negative.”
He commended health workers for working tirelessly to combat coronavirus.
Edited by R.Wamochie