Bomet Governor Prof. Hillary Barchok and senior officials from the Ministry of Devolution commissioned a Sh. 300 million proposed Mother and Child Wellness Center at Ng’ung’unyat in Bomet East, a project which will see the congested services offered at Longisa County Referral hospital transferred there.
The proposed project has been funded by the Ministry of Devolution through the Kenya Devolution Support programme in conjunction with the County government of Bomet and World Bank among other partners.
The 200- bed ultra-modern facility will be named Dr Joyce Laboso memorial Mother and Child Wellness centre in honour of the late second governor of Bomet.
Speaking at the event, Governor Barchok said that with the establishment of the health facility, residents of Bomet County and the neighbouring counties will benefit from all services under one roof the facility will offer.
“With the groundbreaking ceremony here today, residents of Bomet will be in a position to get all health services in future from this same facility at a go, the government has invested heavily in this sector,” explained Barchok
“To decongest Longisa County Referral Hospital which lacks space for further upgrading, we will equip the Dr Joyce Laboso memorial Mother and Child Wellness centre and make it the Bomet County hospital where all residents from this county and its neighboring counties will benefit from,” he added.
To involve residents of Longisa ward in Bomet East Sub County where the facility will be constructed, Governor Barchok asked the project contractor to employ both skilled and unskilled workers from the area.
“This is a multimillion project which will create employment for our youths in this region, I am requesting the site contractor to consider giving people from this area jobs to reduce the unemployment rate in the area,” said Barchok.
The project contractor promised to complete the facility in 18 months, however, Governor Barchok urged them to take less than a year to deliver the facility.
The governor also challenged residents surrounding the area to put up commercial buildings and develop its surroundings with hotels and businesses for them to benefit economically with the facility’s existence.
By Lamech Arisa and Kipngeno Korir
