Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma has commissioned a Sh32.6 million Critical Care Unit (CCU) at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.
The expansion of the CCU was established General Electric (GE) Foundation in partnership with Centre for Public Health and Development and Assist International.
The CCU is managed by anaesthetists, trained nurses in critical care, medical officers, physiotherapists, counsellors, laboratory technicians, biomedical technologists and nutritionists.
Speaking during the event, Ranguma noted that the commissioning of the unit will improve healthcare delivery to the citizens.
Ranguma said the expanded CCU which is the best in Western Kenya became operational in May and has so far admitted 86 patients. The unit has a capacity of seven fully equipped beds, a ventilator, a suction machine, oxygen outlet, patient monitor and fluid pumps.
The governor said two beds are for isolation and renal dialysis of critically ill patients. The hospital currently serves more than 5million people.
“The vulnerable communities in our society that includes women, children, elderly and disabled now have an avenue to access healthcare at their doorsteps through the opening of this critical care unit,” Ranguma said.
The Hospital Management Committee chairman Eng George Mc’Odawa noted that referral hospital still requires other specialised units with appropriate staffing. He called upon the partners, county and national governments to consider improvement of infrastructure, equipment and staff.
The hospital’s Chief Administrator Dr Juliana Otieno said, “Through this partnership, we are planning to inaugurate pioneer nurse anaesthesia training in collaboration with Kenya Medical training College and establish a state of the art simulation centre.”
She said with these facilities, the hospital will extend referral services to 100 sub-counties and attend to multiple trauma patients at the same time.
Isaiah Okoth from General Electric said, “We are happy to partner on this project which will help transform the healthcare system in Western Kenya.
Okoth said CPHD and AI have invested more than USD3 million in various programs to improve safe surgery and anaesthesia.