The new Busia County administration has embarked on repairing the stalled Sh15 million oxygen plant at the Busia County Referral Hospital to enhance health services.
Governor Dr Paul Otuoma who toured the health facility promised to address the issue, noting that it had led to acute shortage of oxygen.
Otuoma subsequently engaged technicians from Flips System to diagnose the problem to operationalize the plant. “My administration is focused on offering solutions that will facilitate smooth delivery of services,” Otuoma emphasized.
Once operational, the plant that has a production capacity of 250 litres of oxygen per minute will be a relief to patients in need of oxygen as they are forced to seek similar services in far flung health facilities outside the County.
The produced oxygen will be supplied to theatres, wards as well as the Intensive Care Unit at the Accident and Emergency block. Owing to oxygen shortage, the hospital has been forced to outsource the commodity.
Otuoma said his administration will also address the shortage of food, drugs and non-pharmaceuticals at Busia County Referral Hospital and other health facilities.
“A consignment of 200 bags of rice, 60 bags of beans and 60 of green grams has already been delivered to the hospital to make sure that inpatients feed well,” confirmed the governor.
He further revealed that the government was in the process of procuring drugs and non-pharmaceuticals through the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) adding: “Within a maximum of two weeks we should be able to have supplies that will take us for three months in major and rural health facilities,” he promised.
This is a major boost to the health sector that has hitherto witnessed demonstrations and strikes by workers and patients.
By Absalom Namwalo
