Why Wanga wants Homa Bay Referral Hospital elevated to level five status

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga is lobbying the national government to elevate the status of the county’s  County Teaching and Referral Hospital to level five after her administration acquired new machines to improve health services in the county.

The referral hospital is categorised under level four.

Ms Wanga told President Willim Ruto, who was recently on a development tour in the region, to consider the hospital as one of the areas of development that the State can implement in the county.

Health services are devolved and every county government manages its own hospitals using funds generated internally and those sent by the National Treasury.

Elevation of the county referral hospital will enable the county government of Homa Bay to get funds from the State to manage health services at the facility.

According to Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentist Union (KMPDU) County Liaison Officer Amos Dulo, elevation of the status of the hospital will enable it to get grants for expansion.

“The county government will also hire specialised doctors to perform operations that were never done there before. With high status, the hospital can conduct kidney transplant or any other procedure that is currently referred to other hospitals,” Dr Dulo said.  

Ms Wanga said she is in discussions with relevant agencies and the Ministry of Health to upraise the hospital to a level five facility.

‘Elevation of the hospital is long overdue,’ she said.

According to the county chief, the hospital has everything needed for patients to be attended to.

On January 11, she commissioned a Computerized Tomography (CT) scan machine worth Sh45 million at the hospital.

The governor said she is committed to ensure all services can be offered in the county.

The CT scan is the first ever in the county.

It combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles around the body and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside the body.

CT scan images provide more-detailed information than conventional X-rays.
Residents of Homa Bay County have benefitted from a new computerised tomography (CT) scan which is expected to reduce the number of people travelling out of the county for diagnosis.

Before the new machine was commissioned, patients were referred to hospitals in Kisumu, Kisii and Bomet counties..
Ms Wanga added it costs up to Sh8,000 for a patient to use an ambulance from Homa Bay to another county to get a CT scan.

She said up to 20 patients are referred to other hospitals everyday.

“Patients would spend over Sh100,000 just to move to other counties. We have cut the cost,” she said.
The governor added that the state-of-the-art machine can handle 100 patients every 24 hours.

“We will attend to patients from the county and from other countries. The previous administration led by former Governor Cyprian Awiti managed to acquire an MRI machine under the Medical equipment leasing project but the two machines have to work together,” Ms Wanga said.

Residents expressed joy, saying they will be saved from spending money to seek medical care in other counties.

‘I got information that a CT scan machine is now in Homa Bay. It will help reduce the cost of medication,’ said Kennedy Adams, a resident of Karachuonyo Constituency, who had plans to take his sick mother to Kisii for CT scan.

Ms Wanga also opened a new comprehensive outpatient unit constructed and equipped at Sh26 million.

The unit is among other projects Ms Wanga has successfully put in place in the first 100 days after she took oath of office in August.
The facility will ease congestion at the old building that was previously used as the out-patient and emergency unit.

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