Siaya County will have additional bed capacity isolation ward after the county government converted the 50 bed capacity Urenga health centre in Ugenya Sub County into a Covid -19 isolation ward.
The health centre becomes the second isolation centre after the first one was created at Bondo Sub county hospital.
Speaking in Bondo where he made the announcement Saturday, area Deputy Governor James Okumbe said the conversion of the facility into an isolation centre is aimed at increasing the county’s’ isolation bed capacity to handle a possible surge in the number of positive corona cases.
The announcement by the Deputy Governor came a few hours after Siaya County was thrust into the limelight following President Uhuru Kenyatta revelation that Siaya has a 10 bed capacity isolation ward with 9 confirmed Covid- 19 cases.
Dr. Okumbe explained that the county had begun modalities to convert Urenga into an isolation centre long before the president’s pronouncement and the facility will soon start admitting patients.
The Deputy Governor who was flanked by the county Health CEC Dorothy Owino and Health Director Dr. Ken Orwenjo said the new facility will increase the Isolation bed capacity from the current 10 to 60.
He further disclosed that currently there are only four corona patients in isolation ward after four other patients recovered while one passed on before being admitted at the Isolation centre in Bondo.
On her part, Dr. Owino allayed fear on the low bed capacity saying all the positive cases in the county were from outside the county telling the residents not to panic.
She asked residents of the County to fully adhere to laid down health guidelines to keep the virus at bay.
“The only way we can win against this virus is if we continue washing our hands, putting on face masks and observing social distance. Let’s not get tired of observation health guidelines stipulated by the government,” Dr. Owino said.
The team was in Bondo to oversee Covid- 19 fumigation exercise.The countywide fumigation was launched two weeks ago by area Governor Cornel Rasanga.
According to his speech read by the president Uhuru Kenyatta Saturday, the national government will be meeting with all the 47 governors on Wednesday discuss modalities of ensuring each county has atleast a 300 bed capacity Isolation centre as the country prepares to ease restrictions on movement occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.
By Brian Odeng’
Siaya County increase Covid-19 isolation ward bed capacity
