Residents of Mt. Elgon Sub County in Bungoma County have raised concerns over the condition of Mt. Elgon Sub county hospital, saying that it does not have the capacity to accommodate all patients in the region.
The residents, led by Samson Kwemoi, said that most patients were forced to go to Kimilili sub county hospital to seek admission because Mt. Elgon sub county hospital wards were too small and do not have enough beds.
Kwemoi noted that ever since the hospital was established, there has been no improvement to the wards terming that as neglect by the county government.
Kwemoi added that the entire hospital has only 25 beds distributed among its wards whereby the male ward has six beds, while the female ward has eight beds and the paediatric ward has 11 beds.
Another resident, Sarah Chebii said that the wards were too small and congested.
She added that the beds were placed very closely together and there was little room for movement by patients and their caregivers.
He called upon the county government to provide enough beds and also expand the available wards so that they could accommodate more patients.
The residents were speaking during a free obstetric fistula, breast and cervical cancer screening for women at the facility which was organized by the office of Bungoma county governor’s wife Carolyn Wangamati.
Mrs. Wangamati responded by promising to look into the matter and ensure that the county government provided the necessary facilities in the hospital.
The first lady added that Bungoma governor, Wycliffe Wangamati was keen on improving the health sector in the county and therefore necessary improvements would be made.
Wangamati also appreciated the residents for showing up in large numbers for the screening, saying the gesture implied that women cared for their health.
Concerning men’s health, the Mrs. Wangamati said a prostate cancer screening was scheduled to take place during a medical camp at Bumula Hospital on August 21 -22, 2019.
She added that her office in collaboration with other health bodies would organize more screening events for men at health centres nearer to them as soon as they completed the same exercise for women.
By Douglas Mudambo/ Sylvia Nyongesa
