The Mombasa Governor has promised to revamp the Mtopanga Health Center, an outreach facility of the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, to operate 24 hours a day.
“We will put up a perimeter wall, procure a backup generator, and hire more medical officers so that the facility can operate 24 hours a day. We will reduce congestion at the Coast General Hospital,” said Governor Abdulswamad Nassir during a medical camp in Mtopanga to select beneficiaries of NHIF family cover under the Mombasa Care programme.
The County Government had rolled out medical camps in all 30 wards at health facilities to select 15,000 beneficiaries of NHIF covers.
The Governor said the hospital bed capacity, which stands at 35, will be increased if residents make maximum use of the already existing capacity.
In a bid to empower 2387 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) who are receiving monthly stipends from the County coffers, the Governor said those who are qualified will be enrolled in medical schools to be trained as nurses.
The area MCA Matsaki Morgan had earlier requested the governor to expand the health facility since it has a large catchment area.
“We would like in the next financial year to have a theatre, a perimeter wall for security, and a backup generator because the hospital drugs expire in the fridge due to lack of a generator,” said the MCA.
“When the hospital was unveiled by former Governor Joho, an ambulance was also brought; we want a permanent ambulance for this hospital,” he added.
Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba urged the hospital management to foster a good relationship with the community. Bedzimba also urged the county government to repair all non-functioning street lights and install new ones to curb crime in Mtopanga.
Mtopanga ward, Bedzimba said, is populous, and more youth from the ward should be recruited in the Mombasa ni Yangu Programme. The programme has been hailed for reducing the crime rate in Mombasa as the youth are engaged in environmental conservation and receive monthly stipends.
County Assembly Speaker Aharub Khatri urged youth and women to form groups for them to benefit from a revolving fund that will be created following the adoption of the 14.7 billion County budget by the assembly.
By Sadik Hassan
