Relief for Trans Nzoia residents and neighbouring counties as Trans Nzoia Teaching and Referral Hospital publicly commissioned Monday with partial operations kicking off.
Speaking during the commissioning of the facility, Governor Patrick Khaemba highlighted the advantages the referral hospital will impact to residents of the county and neighbouring counties like West Pokot and Turkana.
Khaemba cited that when fully equipped the health care facility will be a level 6 flagship project like no other in the region praising it to be strategically located and shall serve not only residents of the county but also the neighbouring country, Uganda.
According to Mr. Khaemba, the facility that has taken nine years to set on completion will reclaim health services in the county.
“In terms of service delivery and health infrastructure, the county of Trans Nzoia was doing very badly. For example, our maternal mortality ratio at devolution was 186 over 100,000 with only 37% of our mothers delivering in health facilities, two, at devolution the health of our babies was optimal, in 2013 only 53% of the eligible children in Trans Nzoia were fully immunised additionally not a single school in the county was offering complete school health program,” said Khaemba.
He challenged the incoming administration to build and improve further by partnering with investors in developing structures like a restaurant and laundry to improve services of the facility.
The governor boasted of the facility having modern facilities and services including 400 bed capacity, public mortuary that can accommodate 64 bodies, three state of the art incinerators for medical waste disposal, two dedicated 500 Kva generators, 40 ICU beds and 16 renal dialysis beds.
When fully operationalized and equipped, the institution will partner with universities and colleges to help nurture the next generation of healthcare providers.
Khaemba confirmed that the partnership aims to drive community health, health equity, and ultimately patient-centered care citing University of Eldoret as one of the universities that have been in talks with the facility.
He asked members of the public to work with incoming administration to help in completion of the facility. The facility will ease congestion in the Kitale county Hospital.
Present during the commissioning was Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) National Treasury and Planning Eric Wafukho.
By Valarie Kosuri
