Mombasa to build Sh350m hospital for Covid patients

The Mombasa county government will spend Sh350 million to put up a 200-bed hospital for Covid-19 patients.

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho told the Senate Public Accounts and Investment Committee on Tuesday that the facility will be put up in Utange, Kisauni constituency.

“Covid-19 is punitive and expensive. If we leave the people at the mercies of private hospitals who are demanding a high amount of money for Covid treatment, we will have failed,” Joho said.

“Not every Kenyan can afford the Sh300,000 deposit on admission, that is why we need to come up with a public facility.”

The governor said that post-Covid-19, the hospital will be converted into a special cancer treatment centre, to ease pressure on the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March last year, 12,473 people have tested positive for the disease in Mombasa. At least 240 have died.

Joho said they have converted three subcounty hospitals: Tudor, Port Reitz and Likoni into Covid-19 treatment facilities.

Tudor Hospital has 40 beds while Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital about 50 for the general wards and 12 in ICU.

“Covid-19 will be around for a while. A responsible government ensures that its citizens' health needs are adequately planned for,” Joho said.

The governor said that it is only through focused and committed investment in the health sector that the county can adequately deal with Covid-19 and attain universal health.

Mombasa county has also recruited 600 community health volunteers to help in grassroots Covid-19 mitigation. The initiative was funded by USAID for Sh40 million.  

The volunteers carry out outreach programmes to high-risk groups like boda boda riders.

 “A door-to-door, last-mile outreach with clear messaging is helping us to gain control over Covid. That is a strategy that we are proud of implementing,” Joho said.

The Senate committee chaired by Migori Senator Achillo Ayako praised Joho's effective handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The county administration installed public sanitation booths, established isolation wards in hospitals and supported vulnerable groups.

The committee said they were happy with the plan to establish five satellite hospitals to help decongest the Coast General Hospital.

Of the five facilities, four are complete and one is 70 per cent done.

“We want only critical cases to go to the referral hospital. That way, our people will receive one of the best medical attention in Kenya. In future, we shall have a model similar to the UK’s NHS system,” Joho said.

The Senate also applauded the governor for expanding the Coast General Hospital so that it can serve people from Kilifi, Tana River, Kwale, Lamu and Taveta counties.

Mombasa county has vaccinated over 29,000 people, with the majority working in the tourism sector.

“Our economy is largely dependent on tourism. Yet, tourism was heavily affected by the Covid pandemic. To regain the traction, vaccination was a key plank,” Joho said.

 

Edited by Kiilu Damaris