Lamu county health service received a major boost after an American Non Government Organisation Afya Pwan under USAID donated a boat worth over Sh10 million to help boost medical services to the hinterlands of Lamu Islands.
The boat for the first time came with full package including insurance, fuel, maintenance ad employment of two coxwen which will all be handled by the NGO.
The support was aimed at ferrying medical staff to the Islanders with ease whenever necessary unlike previously where medical staff had to hire boats at expensive costs to reach residents living in the interior Islands.
Doctor Eileen Mokay head of the NGO AFYA Pwani program said she found the urgent need to install a boat for normal and quick response services to the interior after she realized Lamu suffered from boats that were run o insurance.
She pointed that most boats in Lamu had no insurance and thereby endangering lives of booth the medical staff and patients on board hence coming up with tee resolution of buying a boat that they would maintain it themselves and run the entire service.
Mkaya said this at King Fahad hospital when were launching the bot which in the function was attended by Lamu governor Fahim Twaha, three members of county assembly county executive member for health Jacob Munyua among doctors and health staff.
The governor announced a rigorous program of coming up with a policy of insuring all LAMU locals with National Hospital Insurance Fund NHIF to alleviate them from the heavy burden of medical costs.
He said that during his manifesto campaign he had promised to introduce the Insurance service and he confirmed by end of next year all Lamu residents shall have NHIF card for them to visit any hospital of their choice.
Twaha however warned the medical fraternity to be vigilant and secure their pharmacies since there had been reports where medicine in health centres especially King Fahad referral hospital get lost and found being sold at private chemists within the county.
The governor assured residents that his government has taken Health as a major priority in the county and have even given the highest allocation so as to ensure medical services are improved.
County assembly chairman for health committee and Hongwe ward MCA James Komu commonly known as Janco said they have already formed a bill on NHIF to locals which awaits tabling in parliament and urged the governor to sign it when brought to his table.
He said, currently Lamu is incurring huge costs on referral cases to Malindi and Mombasa but said once the county is committed to improving the health sector them would minimize the number of referrals.
The MCA called on the governor to increase the medical staff and promote those hardworking so as to give moral and improve the sector.