Laikipia’s Nyahururu County Referral Hospital does not stock anti venom vaccine because there is rare demand for the jab from the facility’s catchment area.
The Level five Hospital’s boss, Dr Patrick Waihenya said unlike health facilities in the neighbouring county of Baringo that are stocked with the anti venom drugs, the Nyahururu hospital is located in an environment where cases of snake bites are very rare.
“Stocking of anti venom is not viable since it would expire before it is used since cases of snake bite are very rare in the hospital’s surroundings,” Dr Waihenya said.
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He was reacting to sentiments by Paul Mburu who said he was forced to meet cost of bringing the anti venom from Nakuru PGH hospital when his daughter was bitten by a snake.
“We were told the hospital does not stock anti venom and we had to meet the cost of bringing it from Nakuru,” Mburu had said during meeting at the Nyahururu County Referral hospital between County officials led by Governor Ndiritu Muriithi and members of the public.
The Governor said the meeting held on Saturday was for enlightening members of the public on what development the County government had in the pipeline for the health sector that boasts 84 health facilities across the County including its two level five hospitals – Nyahururu and Nanyuki.
Muriithi said completion of a 120-bed stand-alone maternity wing will increase the Nyahururu Hospital bed capacity to 240 beds and free more beds thus decongesting its wards, particularly the male ward.
People attending the meeting complained that people were being referred to a specific private laboratory in Nyahururu town for lab services where they were charged exorbitantly, despite the County government hospital having an ISO certified laboratory.
Dr Waihenya urged people who are referred for any services outside the hospital to be alerting the facility management saying they do not tolerate such malpractices.
The County Referral Hospital boss said an average of 500 people seek services at the facility daily. He said the Hospital has 300 workers and all specialists needed in any health facility including two general surgeons, two pediatricians, one gynecologist and it is the only public hospital with an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon in the region.
Dr Waihenya urged residents of Nyahururu town to make use of the health centre at the Nyahururu GK prison instead of thronging the Referral hospital for minor ailments.
“In fact it is cheaper to seek medical services at the GK health centre than to be attended here (at the Referral hospital),” Waihenya said.
He said the hospital has established a modern incinerator to handle medical waste from the facility and others including the private ones.
