As a measure to fight against the pandemic, Turkana County has intensified its preparedness by opening a three-bed intensive care unit (ICU) and a four-bed high dependency unit (UDU) at the Lodwar County and Referral Hospital.
The set up institution also has three ventilators to cater for critically ill Covid-19 patients. The news was recently confirmed by Governor Josphat Nanok.
“We plan to have an additional 13 ICU beds in the next three weeks. Lodwar County and Referral Hospital will have an additional seven beds while Kanamkemer, Lokichar and Kakuma sub-county hospitals will each have two beds,” Mr Nanok told journalists in Lodwar.
The governor hopes that his administration will soon increase the isolation beds from the current 154 to 365 in preparation for a possible surge of Covid-19 cases.
The preparation has also brought forth new acquired ambulances that will support referral of patients.The existing fleet of ambulances that have been over used is going to be replaced due to vastness of the county and poor terrain.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is also supporting the Turkana County by supplying a real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machine for analysis and production of test results of Covid-19 among refugees and host communities in Kakuma and Kalobeyei camps.
Among many other things, the machine will cut costs made by the County as samples collected are being taken to Eldoret and Kisumu for analysis.
