Kilifi County government reached a major milestone in the health sector with the unveiling of a new renal dialysis unit, emergency medical services, and a colossal medical warehouse at the Kilifi Referral Hospital to improve health service delivery.
Many patients who had to travel great distances to Mombasa and Malindi to obtain medication would find great comfort with the opening of the renal unit outfitted with the most modern dialysis technology.
During the opening of Emergency Medical Services at the Kilifi referral hospital, Kilifi Governor Gideon Mungaro flags off ambulances. Jackson Msanzu took the picture.
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Improvements in the kidney unit, renal dialysis facility
Speaking during the equipment’s unveiling, Kilifi County Governor Gideon Mung’aro noted that although the kidney unit now only has a few beds, more would be installed to accommodate more patients.
The new renal dialysis facility we just opened has three beds for now, but we’ll be adding 13 more in the coming weeks. This facility confirms our dedication to meeting the many healthcare requirements of our neighbourhood, he added.
With four cutting-edge ambulances, more than 30 highly trained paramedics, and its dispatch centre located at the Kilifi referral hospital, the emergency medical unit is well-equipped to offer emergency medical treatment around-the-clock.
During the occasion, the governor oversaw the flagging off of the zero-mileage ambulances and announced to the crowd that all county public hospitals would get free emergency services.
“When you chose me to serve as your governor, I said that Kilifi County’s ambulance services would be free. In this county, there shouldn’t be any fees for ambulance services, he stated.
The governor announced a mammoth warehouse that would aid in storing medical items to ensure a constant supply of medications in all 150 public health institutions as the county struggled with insufficient medicine in its public hospitals.
Pharmaceuticals, laboratory reagents, radiography items, and other miscellaneous supplies may all be stored in the warehouse thanks to its thoughtful design.
Kilifi County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Health and Sanitation Peter Mwarogo said during a media interview that new medical facilities were being built as the county prepared to purchase more ambulances and hire more paramedics to better service the entire region.
“As of right present, the emergency medical services unit has 31 paramedics. We’ll be purchasing a new ambulance each year and adding extra paramedics as a result. We want to have added 10 additional ambulances by the end of this year,” he said.
He said that the emergency medical services unit’s establishment aims to guarantee a prompt and efficient response to crises in order to save more lives.
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The Health and Sanitation CECM cited a recent accident in Vipingo as evidence of the efficiency of the new emergency medical services unit since they were able to respond to the victims quickly with assistance from the Red Cross, Mombasa Cement, and Kenya Emergency Support.
Dr. James Mulewa, chief executive officer of the Kilifi County Health Department, emphasised that the county warehouse will make sure that Kilifi hospitals never run out of medication.
No hospital in Kilifi would ever run out of medication because we have plenty on hand in the county warehouse, he said.
Mohamed Said, a resident of the Sokoni ward, expressed his appreciation for the hospital’s opening of the renal dialysis unit, saying it would lessen the hardship of having to go to Mombasa for kidney-related care.
“In the past, we had to send our patients to Mombasa for medical care. Others would perish en route. But now that we have a renal dialysis facility, Kilifi citizens may readily use it,” he added.