By reporter
Kwale county’s health sector to get a major boost following plans by AMREF AFRICA in partnership with the national government to set up a state-of-the-art oxygen plant in the county.
The sh 99.065 million project will be constructed at the Lunga-Lunga sub-county hospital where it will serve other county health facilities.
The Pressurized Swing Absorption oxygen plant will be the biggest oxygen-generating machine in the region.
The county will be supplied with 250 oxygen cylinders, splitters and the installation of manifold and piping to the sub-county health facilities of Samburu, Lunga Lunga and Tiwi Rural Hospital in Matuga.
Deputy Governor Chirema Kombo said the project will bring to an end oxygen shortage and ensure enough supply of the essential commodity to the county hospitals.
“It is a milestone achievement in the health sector. The plant will boost the production of oxygen and treatment,” he said.
According to the former governor Salim Mvurya, the region has been sourcing oxygen from Mombasa county which is expensive.
In 2021 an oxygen plant was constructed at the Msambweni sub-county Referral hospital to provide adequate oxygen to help the county combat Covid-19 and other related ailments.
Kombo said in a few months’ time Kwale will be oxygen sufficient and would help reduce the cost of oxygen production and supply.
He said the machine will supplement the oxygen plant in Msambwnei and double the efforts of oxygen production in the county.
The surplus oxygen is expected to be supplied to private hospitals that might need the crucial commodity.
The construction of the much-awaited multimillion oxygen plant is scheduled to commence in July and be completed by December.
Last week, a delegation from AMREF HEALTH AFRICA led by their Technical leader Dr. Angela Andaga and Oxygen project Technical Advisor Francis Nanga accompanied by a team of Biomedical Engineers from the Ministry of Health met at Kwale headquarters in Matuga to discuss the way forward about the project.
The Project is also set to be rolled out in other counties to boost oxygen supply to health facilities for better and affordable treatment services.
Kombo said the project will ease the burden of critical patience in dire need of oxygen to support their treatment.
He said the health sector is set to rise to the required standards as more lives will be saved.
Kombo said it has been the dream of governor Fatuma Achani’s administration to have residents receive quality healthcare services at their doorstep.
He said patients will be saved from long travels seeking critical health services from neighboring counties.
“Once the projected is completed, we don’t expect to have cases where patients die due to lack of oxygen in our health facilities and reduce the need to transfer patients requiring the commodity to other hospitals,” he said.
Kombo said the project is part of the county’s commitment to partner with different investors to improve the health and the welfare of Kwale residents through quality medical services.
“Achani’s administration is steadfast on matters of health and is looking forward to working with the partners to make sure health services are excelled in various parts of the county,” he said.
Kombo said the county is focused on delivering meaningful and sustainable solutions to the county’s health challenges.
He said Kwale government will ensure the oxygen machines are installed and the project is completed on time to provide services to citizens.
At the same time, Kombo revealed that the county has heavily invested in matters of education.
He said Kwale is looking forward to working with the sponsors to make sure youths and residents benefit from skills from the vocational training center and other life opportunities.
Kombo said they had met with a delegation from Colleges and Institutes Canada in Kenya and discussed a possible partnership to recruit 780 youths to acquire skills on Blue Economy and Maritime skills in three selected Vocational Training Centres in the county.
The Kenya Blue Economy is a skill program sponsored by Global Affairs Canada through the Ministry of Education to the County Government of Kwale set to support youths from Kwale, Kilifi and Mombasa.
The youth will be sponsored to take courses on Maritime transport and logistics, Tourism and hospitality, Aquaculture and Crew shipping.
Ends
