Referral hospital to ease crowding
Overstretched hospital: Patients share a bed at Kitale District Hospital in Trans Nzoia County on September 11, 2014. Governor Patrick Khaemba said the County government will establish a 166-bed referral hospital in Kitale Town that will also ease pressure on the Eldoret-based Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. PHOTO| JARED NYATAYA
What you need to know:
- The facility will not only benefit residents, but also ease pressure on the Eldoret-based Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital
- The hospital has at least three patients sharing a bed at any one time, hence the need for supplementary services to decongest it, the county’s chief medical officer, Dr Maurice Wakwabubi said
The Trans Nzoia County government will establish a 166-bed referral hospital in Kitale Town.
The facility will not only benefit residents, but also ease pressure on the Eldoret-based Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.
A 2009 study showed that Moi hospital had a catchment of 16.9 million people.
The decision to establish a Sh185 million referral hospital was informed by the wanting medical situation at the Kitale District Hospital.
Governor Patrick Khaemba told the Nation that a quick solution had to be found.
Built in 1936, the hospital could no longer be expanded to meet demand.
“We found that it was impossible to expand the Kitale District Hospital since it had outlived its initial plan, yet its catchment of five million people still remained,” the county boss said.
The hospital has at least three patients sharing a bed at any one time, hence the need for supplementary services to decongest it, the county’s chief medical officer, Dr Maurice Wakwabubi said.
The county bought a 65 per cent complete medical facility and has so far paid Sh60 million.
