Lamu marks healthcare milestone with first diagnostic unit

Health CS Aden Duale and Lamu Governor Issa Timamy inside the first advanced diagnostic facility in the county at King Fahad hospital on July 3, 2025. /ADEN DUALE

Lamu county has received a major healthcare boost following the unveiling of a state-of-the-art diagnostic unit at King Fahad hospital, marking the county’s first advanced medical imaging centre.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale officially launched the facility, which includes a 128-slice Fuji CT scan, a new oxygen plant, a five-bed Intensive Care Unit, and the Timamy Suites, all delivered under Phase I of the National Equipment Service Programme (NESP).

“These investments mark a major step toward achieving Universal Health Coverage by delivering specialised care to historically underserved regions,” Duale said during the event.

The National Equipment Service Program (NESP) is designed to ensure continuous access to medical equipment in county health facilities across Kenya.

Launched after the expiration of the Medical Equipment Service (MES) programme in December 2023, NESP builds on the successes of MES.

Under the programme, vendors are responsible for providing, maintaining and upgrading equipment at no upfront cost to counties, with payments made based on services rendered under the Fee-for-Service (FFS) model.

An oxygen plant inside the King Fahad hospital in Lamu, July 3, 2025. /ADEN DUALE

The upgrades at King Fahad hospital are part of a broader government push to decentralise quality healthcare and improve outcomes across Kenya.

According to Duale, the NESP’s innovative fee-for-service model enhances sustainability by “reducing county burdens and shifting to county-led, needs-based procurement.”

Additional equipment, including a mammogram and MRI machine, are expected in Lamu in the near future.

“More equipment will arrive at the soonest possibility,” the CS affirmed.A 128-slice Fuji CT scan at King Fahad hospital in lamu county, July 3, 2025. /ADEN DUALE

CS Duale was hosted by Governor Issa Timamy, County CEC for Health Dr Mbarak Bahjaj, and King Fahad Hospital’s leadership led by Medical Superintendent Dr Nuru Salim.

He was accompanied by Director General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth, SHA CEO Dr Mercy Mwangangi, and Acting Digital Health Agency (DHA) CEO Anthony Lenaiyara.

Speaking earlier during a community engagement, Duale reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fast-tracking UHC with a strong call for grassroots participation.

He outlined the ministry’s four-pronged strategy to deepen public understanding and accelerate reform uptake under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

These are digital health transformation, reliable access to essential medicines, investment in healthcare workers, and sustainable, fair health financing.

The CS also announced key reforms at Kemsa, including recapitalization and enhanced accountability systems aimed at tackling the long-standing issue of medical stock-outs, reiterating the ministry’s goal of achieving a 100 per cent order fill rate across all public health facilities enabled by a digitised, end-to-end supply chain.

Duale called on families to prioritise immunisation, aiming to raise Lamu’s childhood vaccination coverage from 60 per cent to 100 per cent.

He also urged health facilities to enhance antenatal and maternity care to reduce preventable maternal deaths.

He emphasised the importance of community-led awareness and oversight to ensure that SHA benefits reach every household and issued a strong warning against quack practitioners and unethical operations in health facilities, vowing to safeguard SHA resources and enforce professional standards.