The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has rated Nakuru among five counties that are leading in quality and affordable healthcare provision.
In September 2017, Governor Lee Kinyanjui formed a task-force that reported of dilapidated infrastructure, lack of essential drugs, and inadequate workforce among other issues as ailing the sector.
Consequently, the County Government of Nakuru in the 2018/19 financial year allocated 36 per cent, Sh6.3 billion of its budget, to healthcare financing.
According to County Executive Committee Member for Health Dr Gichuki Kariuki, the money has been used to strengthen the promotive, preventive and curative services.
“The County Government of Nakuru in the 2018/19 financial year allocated 36 per cent, Sh6.3 billion of its budget, to healthcare financing. The money has been used to strengthen the promotive, preventive and curative services,” Kariuki said.
The County also offers rehabilitative and palliative services for patient with terminal illnesses.
The County has placed an emphasis on the reduction in the mortality rates through the implementation of various strategies and intervention to address major risk factors.
In October 2018, the County Government of Nakuru opened a 240-bed capacity unit, the Margaret Kenyatta Mother-Baby Unit, specializing in maternal and newborn healthcare.
The Sh450 million facility situated at the Nakuru County Referral Hospital is the biggest of its kind in the country after Nairobi’s Pumwani Maternity Hospital.
A total of 4, 375 successful deliveries have been conducted within three months of its opening by H.E First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.
In May last year, the County opened an Oncology Center at the Nakuru County Referral Hospital that has seen 5, 613 patients to date.
The construction of a banker for the installation of a modern radiotherapy machine is underway and will ultimately end referrals to private hospitals. Patients under the National Hospital Insurance Fund program will have services for free.
Late last year, the Nakuru County Referral Hospital hit media headlines for performing a historic brain surgery with a patient fully awake. The awake craniotomy involves carrying out surgeries without sedation to remove brain tumors from a patient.
Local doctors joined others from the Kenyatta National Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada and Egerton University in operating Joseph Karuri, a mason from Mathira, Nyeri aged 33.
Dr Gichuki said the County has set up a surveillance team to monitor drug and non-pharmaceutical items in health facilities to ensure there are no stock-outs.
The County also has hospital boards and committees across the County.
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