KDF to supervise completion of Kakamega Level 6 Hospital

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) will supervise the construction of the Kakamega Level VI hospital to ensure its completion within six months.

 

The initiative builds on the joint intervention by the national and county governments to revive the project which had stalled in 2022.

 

“The county government has allocated Sh300 million to top up the Sh500 million that the national government has committed to complete the facility,” Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa said.

 

 The 750 bed hospital is expected to create 5,000 jobs, boost medical tourism, and offer hands on learning and practical exposure for medical students.

 

“Although people from Kakamega will greatly benefit from the Hospital, it remains an important facility for the whole country,” Defence Principal Secretary Dr. Patrick Mariru said.

 

The PS said, “KDF will come to supervise work at the facility, but those who will provide labour are people from Kakamega. In the next six months, some people will get their daily bread from the construction of the facility.”

 

“I want to confirm, the hospital will be done on time, in the required standard and within the set budgets,” he said.

 

He said once complete the government will equip the facility. The hospital will be equipped through a programme known as the National Equipment Support programme, under which, equipment is provided at no upfront cost to the facility.

This is done each time a patient uses it, through a health equipment financing model known as ‘V for Service.

 

The leaders urged patients to register with the Social Health Authority (SHA) and start contributing so that the government can pay for the equipment every time they use it.

 

 “Every single citizen has the right to seek medication in any hospital without being worried about how much money he or she has, this is possible if all of us will register in the Social Health Authority fund,” the PS said.

 

Consequently, the government has set aside Sh21 billion in SHA to cover citizens across the country to access medication without straining their pockets.

 

Out of the amount, Sh13 billion will be sent to dispensaries and level four hospitals to cover primary healthcare.

 

The remaining Sh8 billion has been set aside to cover costs of chronic illnesses such as treatment of cancer, surgeries and dialysis.

 

“Here in Kakamega we are doing well, we are about 48 per cent but there are 52 per cent who are yet to register with SHA, so if you have not registered with SHA what are you waiting for? The importance of this Fund is to ensure that there is no one who is left behind,” the PS said.

 

Residents can as well pay for SHA contributions in instalments rather than as a lump sum, the PS said.