Africa-Press – Kenya. Residents of Trans Nzoia can breathe a sigh of relief after the Ministry of Health donated an ambulance to Matunda sub-county hospital.
This comes barely a month after Health CS Susan Wafula toured the facility and pledged to work with the county government to ensure the hospital is fully equipped and staffed to a Level 4 facility.
The hospital which is supposed to be a sub-county facility has been operating as a dispensary due to a number of challenges, including lack of a proper referral system for critically ill patients.
According to the CS, the ambulance which was released to the hospital on Friday had been donated a year ago but had been lying at the ministry’s parking.
“It has been in the parking lot and when I visited Matunda sub-county hospital which is actually meant to be a subcounty but is operating like a health centre their biggest cry is how they should be able to refer patients,” the CS said.
“Therefore today the ambulance that has been sitting in this parking for over a year we shall be handing it over to the sub-county hospital. I want to believe that they are deserving,” she added.
During her tour of the facility in April, the CS said while the hospital has sufficient buildings, it lacks equipment, drugs and staff to meet the needs of the community.
For instance, the facility which is supposed to have a staff of 62 currently has only half a half of the required number.
“Even half not all of them are on duty not because of their own making but because there are no patients because the locals have no faith in this facility,” she said during the tour.
Those who make it to the hospital are in most cases referred to Kitale, yet there is still a challenge in the referral system due to the lack of an ambulance even for critical cases.
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