Many patients with heart-related ailments in Nakuru County cannot access treatment due to the shortage of cardiologists in the region.
According to Dr Omondi Ogada, a cardiologist based in Nakuru, a majority of patients end up dying because of the failure to access treatment, and blamed it on lack of heart specialists.
Speaking during an interview in his office, Ogada said most heart ailments can be cured only if they are diagnosed in good time.
He said heart patients in Nakuru are forced to travel to Nairobi to seek specialised treatment, a move he said is financially draining.
"In Nakuru we are suffering from acute shortage of cardiologists and the two or three who are available are overwhelmed by the huge number of patients seeking their services,” he said.
"We are losing people simply because they did not have access to a cardiologist," he added.
Dr Ogada called on the county government of Nakuru to invest in training more cardiologists to curb the shortage.
"Instead of waiting for the national government to supply heart specialists the county government should invest in training its own as a means of dealing with the shortage,” he said.