Faza Hospital conducts first caesarean section

What you need to know:

  • Lamu County Health Executive Mr Mohamed Kombo said the Sh480 million rehabilitation of the facility is now complete.
  • The newly refurbished Faza Sub-County hospital will serve hundreds of locals in Faza Island and other adjacent Islands in Lamu East.
  • The cheapest a speed boat would charge to ferry a patient from Lamu East to Lamu Island is Sh15,000.

Faza Sub-County hospital in Lamu East has conducted its first caesarean section operation.

The successful surgery was done on a 23 year-old first time mother from Tchgundwa village who had an obstructed labour on Wednesday.

For decades, the facility has been offering basic medical services due to infrastructural challenges.

For the past two years, however, the Lamu County government, in partnership with the national government, has equipped the hospital with modern medical equipment.

Addressing journalists in Lamu on Wednesday, Health Executive Mr Mohamed Kombo said the Sh480 million rehabilitation of the facility was now complete.

FIRST CAESERIAN SECTION

“Faza hospital started in mid 1970s. Before 2013, the facility was operating like a health centre but now we have renovated it to a fully-fledged level-four facility. In fact, today (Wednesday) we were able to conduct a successful caesarean section for the first time since independence at the facility,” said Dr Kombo.

He said most of the patients in Lamu East have always been referred to the Lamu King Fahad County Hospital in Lamu Town, which is miles away across the vast Indian Ocean.

A patient is wheeled into the theatre for a caesarean section operation at Faza Sub-County hospital in Lamu East on May 17, 2017. PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Dr Kombo said the newly refurbished Faza Sub-County hospital will serve hundreds of locals in Faza Island and other adjacent islands in Lamu East including those at the border of Lamu with Somalia like Ishakani, Ras Kamboni, Kiunga, Mkokoni, Kiwayu and Ndau.

“For a long time, pregnant mothers in Lamu East have succumbed to childbirth related complications since the hospital wasn’t well equipped for safe deliveries. Locals now have an hospital to rush to instead of spending days on the road and ocean as they seek treatment in Lamu,” said Mr Kombo.

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

Dr Kombo praised the national government for giving Faza Sub-County hospital equipment for Radiology, X-ray, ultrasound, operating theatre and other medical equipment worth Sh380 million on loan.

He said the county government has spent Sh100 million to upgrade the facility.

“As county government, we have invested on the operating theatre, laundry, kitchen, perimeter wall, salaries, emergency hospital generator and electrification of the entire facility,” said Dr Kombo.

Mrs Asha Bunu, a Faza resident, said the renovation of the Faza hospital was timely.

PREGNANT WOMEN

“Residents, especially pregnant women would go all the way to Lamu for ultrasound, we thank God that such services will now be available at Faza,” said Mrs Bunu.

Mr Bwanamkuu Abdalla said the upgrading of the Faza facility has come as a big relief to residents since it will save them the high charges they had to pay for speed boats to ferry patients across the Indian Ocean to Lamu Hospital.

The cheapest a speed boat would charge to ferry a patient from Lamu East to Lamu Island is Sh15,000.

“Most people here are poor and hiring a boat at Sh15,000 or Sh20,000 just to get to hospital is difficult. We have lost many mothers and babies but we are glad this will now be over with the refurbished Faza Sub County Hospital,” said Mr Abdalla.