BY SHABAN OMAR
The Kwale County government is taking affirmative steps to enhance healthcare services by introducing private wings in all public hospitals.
Governor Fatuma Achani said the initiative aims to elevate the quality of care and provide patients with access to services comparable to those offered by private healthcare facilities.
Achani announced that private wings would be established in all sub-county hospitals, with work already underway at Kwale Hospital.
“Our goal is to ensure that all our health facilities offer top-tier services, matching the standards of private hospitals,” she said.
Achani said that residents will receive quality healthcare services at affordable prices, saving them from the high costs they would otherwise incur at private health facilities for similar treatments.
The governor said the new development is part of the county’s efforts to improve health service delivery and ensure that residents receive high-quality care within the public healthcare system.
Achani said her administration is committed to improving healthcare services by ensuring the availability of essential medical equipment and medicines.
She noted that the county’s health facilities are currently well-stocked with medicines, enabling efficient and reliable service delivery.
“We have prioritized healthcare to ensure our residents receive the best possible services, and I am proud to say that our facilities are operating at top-notch levels,” she said.
Achani acknowledged that county’s health facilities previously faced challenges, including shortages of medical supplies and poor service delivery.
She attributed the issues to delays in the disbursement of funds from the national government, which disrupted the procurement of medicines and the delivery of other essential services.
However, the governor assured residents that her administration has resolved the problem, including clearing outstanding payments to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
Achani instead urged KEMSA to enhance its medicine delivery systems to meet the growing demand in Kwale and other counties to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services.
“While we have resolved past issues, we call on KEMSA to strengthen its supply chain to keep up with the needs of our health facilities and residents,” she said.
Achani also said that her administration is dedicated to enhancing maternal and newborn healthcare services in the region.
She revealed that the county recently launched a state-of-the-art newborn unit at Msambweni Referral Hospital, a multimillion-shilling investment aimed at improving healthcare for newborns.
“The facility is equipped with a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and a High-Dependency Unit (HDU) to provide specialized care for newborns in critical conditions,” she said.
She said the initiative aims at reducing infant mortality and ensuring better health outcomes for mothers and their babies.
Achani said that the newly upgraded Newborn Unit will enhance service delivery by increasing bed capacity from 21 baby cots to 50.
She noted that her administration is also prioritizing the improvement of renal and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) healthcare services across the county.
Achani said that the construction of ICU and renal facilities is underway at Kinango Sub-County Hospital which aims to bring critical healthcare services closer to residents, sparing them the burden of traveling long distances for treatment.
“These projects are part of our commitment to ensuring that all citizens have access to quality and specialized healthcare services within their localities,” said Achani.
The governor said her administration will continue to work closely with various partners and the national government to improve health services in the region.
Achani urged residents to register with the Social Health Insurance (SHA) to be able to benefit from the national government’s healthcare program.
She emphasized that the program provides vital access to affordable healthcare services, including those offered at the newly developed and upgraded facilities across the county.
Achani said registration with SHA will ensure that more residents can benefit from the various health services provided, easing the financial burden of medical care and ensuring everyone receives quality treatment.
