The Nyandarua County Health Department has come up with a system known as Nyandarua Specimen Referral System whereby motorcycle riders will be used to transport patients’ specimens from health centres to the nearest referral hospitals.
According to County Director of Health Services, Dr Martha Mwathi, patients will no longer be referred from health centres to local main hospitals for laboratory services.
Instead, motorcycle riders will be asked to transport patients’ specimens from health centres to the nearest referral hospital that has a laboratory facility and the results sent back to the initiating centre online.
Mwathi who was speaking at the County health department offices located next to JM Kariuki hospital during a refresher course for riders who have been enlisted to offer the service.
She said the Nyandarua Specimen Referral System which has been in test-run has shown improved patient management, reduced turnaround time and reduced related costs.
“The trained and equipped riders transfer the highly sensitive samples referred from dispensaries, health centers and the community to higher sub-county or County referral testing facilities,” she said.
The Director said the riders who are in the boda boda taxi business will be called upon when need arises and facilitated to ferry the specimen, adding that specimen transfer is a key component in offering health services by the County.
She added that the referral system will increase citizens’ access to the highest level of laboratory services, their location notwithstanding.
The Specimen Referral System is among initiatives by Health Services Executive Zakayo Kariuki in a bid to improve service delivery by County health facilities.
The County is carrying out the system in collaboration with Social Welfare Outreach Program Kenya (SWOP-K), a social and health non-profit organization.
Francis Mecha of Swop-K said the organization offers sustainable community-driven solutions to problems facing marginalized and vulnerable populations.
By Antony Mwangi
