Bungoma Governor, Kenneth Lusaka, has commissioned a 100-bed Mother and Child Unit at Bumula Sub-County Hospital in a major boost to maternal and newborn healthcare in the region.
The state-of-the-art unit is equipped with five incubators to support premature and vulnerable newborns.
It is part of a broader expansion at the facility that has also seen the introduction of X-ray and dental services.
The investment is expected to significantly reduce the need for residents to travel outside Bumula for specialised maternal, newborn and diagnostic care, while enhancing the hospital’s capacity to handle referrals.
Speaking during the official opening ceremony, Governor Lusaka said his administration is deliberately upgrading health infrastructure across the county to bring quality services closer to the people.
“We are improving the healthcare system at this facility to ensure it meets referral standards and provides quality services to the people of Bumula,” Lusaka said.
He noted that mothers and children, who have long struggled to access specialised care within the constituency, will be the biggest beneficiaries of the new unit.
The Governor also lauded Community Health Promoters (CHPs) for their critical role in grassroots healthcare delivery and in linking communities to health facilities.
He disclosed that the county government has fast-tracked medical insurance cover for all CHPs and has made budgetary provisions to clear outstanding arrears owed to them”This will boost their morale and enable them to continue serving residents effectively,” he said.
On the ongoing nurses’ strike, Lusaka said the county government has signed a return-to-work formula with the union as part of efforts to end the industrial action and restore normal services.
He appealed to the striking medics to consider the plight of patients and resume duty.
“I appeal to our nurses to embrace their oath of service and continue saving lives. We must ensure that patients do not lose their lives because of the ongoing situation,” he said.
Speaking during the same occasion, Bumula Member of Parliament (MP), Jack Wamboka, welcomed the project, saying it will improve health care standards for mothers and children in the constituency.
He said the upgraded hospital will also play a pivotal role in operationalizing the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) campus built in the area through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
“I was very worried about this campus but now with a fully-fledged hospital here courtesy of the county government, our students are going to have hands-on training,” Wamboka said.
He revealed that Phase One of the KMTC campus is complete, with an additional Sh80 million having been set aside in the current financial year for Phase Two.
Once complete, he said, it will be the largest KMTC campus in Bungoma County.
The new Mother and Child Unit, together with the neonatal equipment, dental and X-ray services, is expected to decongest Bungoma County Teaching and Referral Hospital by enabling Bumula residents to access a wider range of essential and specialised services closer to home.
By Chris Mahandara
