Since the inception of devolution, the health docket in Nakuru County has continued to get the lion's share on budget allocation.

In the current financial year, the health docket at the county has received Sh 6.8 billion that should be spread across all the facilities in the county to improve service delivery.

Ironically, the huge budget channelled to the docket seems not to reflect when it comes to infrastructure and service delivery.

Read: Health on Trial: Nakuru's well-funded health sector with poor service delivery

At Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital, a new outpatient wing that was meant to improve service delivery and ease congestion at the facility is yet to be occupied, despite having been completed.

The four-storey outpatient department that cost taxpayers Sh 650 million was completed but equipping as well as staff deployment is yet to take place.

The medical Oxygen plant at the Nakuru Level five Hospital is another crucial project that seems to have stalled.

The Oxygen plant at Nakuru Teaching and Referral hospital is not operational.

Photo credit: BRET SANYA/MTAA WANGU

It should be noted that at the hospital, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the High Dependency Unit (HDU), 10 theatres and the maternity wing are supplied with piped oxygen, while the outpatient unit has standby oxygen cylinders.

The plant with a capacity of processing 2,000 tonnes of oxygen per day was to start operations by the end of June 2022, to help the facility cut on the cost of purchasing oxygen for medical use at various units, but this is yet to be realized.

When Mtaa Wangu visited the facility, the plant remains closed with no sign of activity of operations.

We sought the audience of Nakuru Teaching and Referral hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. James Waweru over the stalled projects at the facility.

Nakuru Teaching and Referral hospital Medical superintendent Dr James Waweru.

Photo credit: BRET SANYA/MTAA WANGU

According to him, there was a delay in connection of electricity to the national grid, to allow the Oxygen plant to be operational.

However, Dr Waweru says this has been sorted and is optimistic that the facility will be commissioned soon to start operations, with over 4,000 cylinders expected to be filled per month.

“We had a delay but the plant is now connected to the national grid in terms of electricity. That means soon we shall rely on our own oxygen rather than buying, which costs the facility Sh 2.5 million a month,” he says.

Also Read: Health on Trial: We are understaffed and overworked, Nakuru medics speak

He points out that the new out-patient wing at the facility that is yet to be operational is 99 percent complete, with only the Lift mobility system remaining to be installed.

Dr Waweru is however quick to state that the facility will soon be operational once everything is in place.

“Indeed this is a very expensive project, but I take this opportunity to assure the residents that in a month’s-time, it shall open doors to members of the public,” he said.

In Nakuru West, a Sh15 million outpatient facility meant to meet the growing demand for health services in the region is yet to be completed.

In Molo, the upgrade of the Level four Hospital that was meant to ease congestion at the facility, as well as improve service delivery is yet to be completed.

Mtaa Wangu has established that the Sh183 million ultra-modern hospital that was started mid 2021, was to be completed within 10 months.

Other facilities that the county government started include the Sh159 million Njoro Sub-County Hospital and the Sh60 million outpatient complex at Olenguruone Health Center.

The move to upgrade the sub-county health facilities was meant to decongest the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital that serves more than eight counties in the South Rift region, including Bomet, Kericho, Samburu, Baringo, Nyandarua and Laikipia.

pmambili@gmail.com

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Pristone Mambili