The Kakuma Hospital has been modernised. The government, through the Kenya Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (KDRDIP), embarked on the project which is set to end predicaments of residents of Turkana West Sub-county.
The project entailed construction of a mortuary, upgrading a Maternity wing among other services. KDRDIP County Coordinator, Humphrey Amoni, said the upgrade will save residents the cost they incurred by transporting patients to Lodwar and Eldoret.
“The major investment is the construction of a Mortuary, Medical Laboratory, Incinerator, Maternity and also equipping the same facility to serve the entire Turkana West Sub- county,” said Amoni.
The hospital is a trauma center. It offers antiretroviral therapy, curative in-patient services, family planning, HIV counselling and testing and immunization. The hospital also carries out some outreach programs on medical basic care (antenatal care, immunization, malnutrition, HIV screening) for the remote communities.
Expense reduction
Kakuma Member of County Assembly (MCA), James Ekaran said the morgue is a relief for the residents and it would save them expenses incurred transporting bodies to Lodwar, 120 km away.
“We have been experiencing challenges as leaders because we have to dig into our pockets to support families pay for morgue services and transportation costs to Lodwar County Referral Hospital mortuary,” he said.
Paul Esekon, a resident of Kakuma, said the plan by KDRDIP is a welcome move as it will cushion the common mwananchi from the expenses they would incur to look for such services outside the area.
“Many people die because of lack of access to adequate medicare, during all these the common mwananchi suffers too much and if there is no mortuary to keep the body as burial plans take place,” said Esekon.
