Medical board gives Kerugoya Hospital clean bill of health

The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDB) on Wednesday gave the Kerugoya County Referral Hospital a clean bill of health, assuring the public that the facility has met all the set standards of operation.

The board had earlier recommended that the hospital only admits emergency cases pending completion of a clean up and repair exercise.

Speaking at the Kerugoya Hospital on Wednesday, KMPDB Chief Executive Officer Daniel Yumbya said, upon their inspection, the facility is in a great condition.

“We have gone round the facility and based on the findings, our team is satisfied that there is great great improvement on the ground. We have given the hospital a clean bill of health… they can readmit patients the way they were admitting,” said Mr. Yumbya.

“Sanitation and cleaning that was not there has already been undertaken… repairs have been undertaken to major areas and personnel have also been put in place particularly the casuals.”

The board CEO pointed out that 62 more casual workers had been hired and were already on duty, further assuring the public of better services at the hospital.

“We have confirmed an additional 62 support staff have been recruited they are now on duty… The hospital is in full operation and so patients should come here and seek services without fear of anything,” said Mr. Yumbya.

He was accompanied by a joint health regulatory team drawn from KMPDB, Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Public Health Board, Nursing Council of Kenya and officials from the county and national government.

Dr. Andrew Were, head of Inspectorate and Compliance Department in the medical board, said quality services were now being delivered at the hospital.

”Medical equipment is in order and the hospital is fully operational,” he noted.

The team further asked health workers in the county to support the county government in delivery of quality services, this after the court stopped a strike that had been called by the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) .

“We ask all healthcare workers working in the county to support the county government in providing healthcare to the workers of Kirinyaga,” said Dr. Were.

Kirinyaga  County Commissioner Jim Njoka, who was also present, urged all health workers to resume duty, assuring them that there would be no victimization.

”Those who want to resume duty are free to do so. I can assure them that they will not be victimised,” he said.

Last week, the Employment and Labour Relations Court suspended a strike announced by KMPDU in the county until a case filed by the Kirinyaga County government is heard and determined.

In the ruling, Justice M. Onyango termed the 7-day strike notice issued by the union as unlawful, prohibited and therefore unprotected.

Prior to the clearance issued on Wednesday by the board, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru had in a response dated May 15, 2019, informed KMPDB that the Kerugoya hospital was thoroughly cleaned and the laundry machine repaired and in service.

She also assured that a supplementary budget had also been revised to cater for incineration facilities as well as additional laundry service equipment.

Last week on Friday, the Governor confirmed that the Kirinyaga County Assembly had approved a Ksh.1.8 billion allocation to improve county hospitals.

She said part of the money will be used to purchase critical equipment, such as an incinerator, a resuscitator, laundry machines and stock hospitals with drugs.