Nyandarua shelves theatre project to set up Sh10m ICU
Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia inspects the production of face masks at Milangine Vocational and Training Centre in Ol Kalou on April 21, 2020, to help in the coronavirus war. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Nyandarua County is racing against time in preparations to tackle the Covid-19 threat just in case there is an outbreak in the region.
Unlike her immediate neighbours that inherited intensive care units developed by the Health ministry before devolution, Nyandarua had no ICU facility, as most resources went towards developing Nyahururu District Hospital in Nyahururu Town.
The outbreak has forced the administration to change its twin theatre plans by converting and upgrading the facility at JM Memorial Hospital to an ICU.
Currently, the 10-bed facility is one of the isolation centres and Sh10 million has been released to equip it with modern equipment procured from Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa).
Finance CEC Mary Mugwanja said the department has allocated Sh268 million to battle the pandemic.
“We have an amount that goes directly to the health department and other amounts distributed to other departments fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. Our approach is both short- and long-term,” said Ms Mugwanja.
The water department has been facilitated to improve and develop new projects.
The health department has made special arrangements with Kemsa for timely supply of medicines - essential stuff will be directly supplied to health facilities.
QUARANTINE
Over 30, 000 families are in need of food; the government intends to spend Sh200 million on that.
Other departments involved in prevention campaigns are agriculture, which was allocated Sh36 million, which includes Sh10 million for fertiliser and seeds.
The county has 42 isolation beds against a total population of 638,289, according to the 2019 Census.
The county has not recorded any Covid-19 case, but County Commissioner Boaz Cherutich says 75 people have been quarantined.
Governor Francis Kimemia said: “I am appealing to the national government to give financial and material support to proactive counties with nil or minimal Covid-19 cases. As Central Kenya region governors, we also appeal to President Kenyatta to constitute national and regional task teams to coordinate economic recovery strategies."
