NGPU February 9, 2023

Nakuru County to benefit from an automated medical services

Residents of Nakuru County are set to benefit from an automated laboratory, ending years of delays and inadequacies in diagnosis at the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Other health facilities – ranging from Level 4, 3 and 2 hospitals – will also benefit from the upgrading of medical diagnosis, information technology infrastructure and treatment of specialized diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

The new development was an outcome of a meeting today between Nakuru County Governor Susan Kihika and Mr Yaron Farachi, the chief executive officer of Elsmed Healthcare Solution Ltd. This is an Israeli company that has offices in Kenya.

Governor Kihika said the move by Elsmed Healthcare Solutions will radically reduce the cost of laboratory services at the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital and other hospitals in the County by more than 60 per cent.

“This will go a long way in reducing the cost of laboratory services our people have been incurring. For instance, those who were being charged Kshs. 100 for urinal tests will only be charged Kshs. 30 for the maintenance of the machines,” she said.

The Governor said the County will team up with Elsmed Healthcare Solutions and Siemens Healthinneers Diagnostics to buy more machines to serve Levels 4, 3 and 2 hospitals.

“We will cost-share with partners for more machines in hospitals between Levels 2 and Level 4. We want to improve medical services in public health facilities to make them the darling of the masses,” she said.

Elsmed Healthcare Solutions, in a joint venture with Siemens Healthineers Laboratory Diagnostics (DX) Division, said they would put together a kitty of Ksh125 million ($100 million) to finance various health projects in the County.

Elsmed Healthcare Solutions which operates in over 50 countries in partnership with Siemens Healthineers Laboratory Diagnostics, has conducted an assessment of health facilities in the County and identified medical diagnostics, IT infrastructure, treatment of specialized diseases, laboratory information systems and inventory management as some of the areas which were holding back delivery of timely quality services in health facilities.

“We will automate fully the core laboratory at the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital to facilitate quicker diagnosis of diseases. The results of the diagnosis will also be very accurate,” said Mr Yarachi. We will also link the laboratories at Level 4, 3, and 2 hospitals to the core laboratory at the referral hospitals for on-time diagnosis,” he explained.

Elsmed Healthcare Solutions in partnership with Siemens Healthineers Diagnostics will also establish a centre in Nakuru County which will also be used to train doctors in various specialities such as paediatrics.

“We will put up a simulation centre in Nakuru to curb maternal mortality rate in the County and train doctors in specialized areas. The partnership aims to reduce referrals and amplify the accessibility and affordability of primary healthcare to the people of Nakuru,” he said.

Governor Kihika said the planned establishment of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Nakuru to treat diseases such as diabetes and hypertension will attract more people from neighbouring counties seeking treatment at its upgraded health facilities.  “This will see an increase in medical tourism from neighbouring counties seeking medical treatment in Nakuru,” she said.

The Governor said the facilitation and equipping of trauma centre simulators which will train emergency response teams of boda riders, matatu and caregivers.

“We are fast-tracking on the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the county and the company through the department of health,” she said.