Health services have officially resumed at the Kericho County Referral Hospital after months of extensive renovations and modernization works that began in June, marking a major milestone in the County’s ongoing efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure and service delivery.
The refurbishment project, spearheaded by the County Government of Kericho, sought to enhance patient safety, expand service capacity and modernize health infrastructure. The improvements, that mark a new chapter for the hospital as it reopens fully for both inpatient and outpatient services have basically ushered in a new era of quality healthcare for residents of Kericho and the wider South Rift region.
In a statement, Kericho County Governor, Dr. Eric Mutai, confirmed that all services at the Kericho County Referral Hospital have fully resumed, emphasizing that the transformation marks a new chapter in the delivery of efficient, reliable and people-centered healthcare in the County.
Dr. Mutai revealed that the hospital had undergone major infrastructural upgrades including the removal of asbestos, the construction of a new, modern kitchen and general renovations across multiple departments.
“These improvements not only make the hospital safer, but also enhance the comfort and experience of our patients and staff,” he said.
He added that one of the most significant developments in the reopening, is the installation of a new 128-slice CT scanner, replacing the previous machine that was damaged in a fire incident, a State-of-the-Art upgrade that now greatly enhances the hospital’s diagnostic capacity by enabling faster, more precise and more reliable imaging services for patients.
“This milestone reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering world-class healthcare services right here in Kericho, eliminating the need for patients to travel long distances for specialized scan service,” he noted.
The Governor further highlighted that the ISO-certified world-class laboratory is now fully operational alongside the renal unit, orthopedic and maternity departments, specialized clinics, ICU and general wards, all of which have been upgraded to meet modern healthcare standards and are now equipped to serve the community with enhanced efficiency, safety and patient comfort.
Dr. Mutai reaffirmed that emergency services remain operational 24 hours a day, to ensure that critical care is always within reach, emphasizing that the goal is to prevent loss of life due to delayed medical attention, with the upgraded facility now fully equipped and ready to handle emergencies promptly and deliver timely, high-quality interventions.
As part of broader reforms in the County’s health sector, Dr. Mutai announced that Kericho had recently achieved a major breakthrough in healthcare digitization through the Department of Health Services, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Digital Health Agency by adopting the digitization of all the County health facilities under the TaifaCare platform.
A total of 532 digital gadgets were dispatched to health facilities across Kericho County, reaffirming the County’s position as one of the leading early adopters of digital health innovation in Kenya and is expected to enhance service delivery, improve access to medical services, and streamline operations across all public health facilities in the County.
The TaifaCare Tibabu platform, integrates electronic medical records, mobile enrolment, claims processing and real-time payments through a centralized Health Information Exchange System that enables seamless data sharing across facilities.
By Kibe Mburu
