ISSUE 004 JANUARY - APRIL HAPPENINGS NEWSLETTER VIHIGA COUNTY These are the achievements and activities of the County Government of Vihiga from January - April, 2019 Patients receiving services from the newly bought CT Scan at Vihiga County Referral Hospital. For the first time Vihiga residents no longer go to Eldoret nor Kisumu to seek CT Scan services. Bonface Esau, a beneficiary of Governor’s Scholarship studies in their home in Emuhaya.100 bright needy students received full high school scholarship this year. County Government of Vihiga @VihigaCountyGov www.vihiga.go.ke Vihiga County Government HEALTH HEALTH Blood Transfusion Centre Under CT - SCAN SERVICES Construction MWOKI now available at Vihiga County Referral Hospital Residents will no longer be going to Kisumu and Eldoret RESIDENTS for blood transfusion once the construction of a blood TO HAVE A he number of patients being transfusion centre is complete. referred to other health facilities DISPENSARY Tfor specialised treatment from the Vihiga County Referral hospital has Patients will no longer go to reduced by 80 per cent. This is after the woki residents in “Eldoret and Kisumu for CT County Government installed a 32-slice Masana, South Computed Tomography machine (CT- Scan Services Maragoli ward will M Scan) at the County referral hospital. It not be visiting neighboring was procured at a cost of sh.42million. health centres to seek medical said Dr Mamadi. Mamadi said the ICU attention.This is after the In most cases, patients admitted at the will be able to offer care for 32 patients, county government’s initiative facility who needed emergency care were Isaiah nduka,Emuhaya resident is adding that they want to hire more to construct a dispensary in the normally referred to the Moi Teaching among patients who have received specialists to work at the facility. area. and Referral Hospital (MTRH)-Eldoret for CT scan services. treatment. “Before the installation of the CT scan While addressing the machine at the referral hospital, mortality area residents during the This is part of Governor Wilber Ottichilo’s rate was very high. Worse of it, some of groundbreaking ceremony, manifesto of providing specialized health 170 the patients we used to refer to other Ottichilo said his government services to the people of Vihiga County. hospitals out of the county succumbed will fully equip the dispensary Number of patients who have on the way before reaching to the doctor and employ health workers to Dr Juma said majority of the patients who was supposed to attend to them,” he serve the people of Masana were from Vihiga, while others were received CT Scan Services said. Groundbreaking of satelite blood transfusion centre at the county Referral Hospital area to cut down on the from Busia, Siaya, Kisumu and Kakamega between February - April counties. cost and distance they travel During the launch of the CT-Scan early ihiga County Referral Hospital from the regional transfusion centers in while seeking treatment.The “We are now able to offer prompt they were referred to the referral hospital this year,Vihiga Governor Dr.Wilber will not be borrowing blood Kisumu and Eldoret. dispensary will cost 30 million Ottichilo said that when he came into shillings. diagnosis to stroke patients, those with where after she only paid Ksh.8,000 and from neighbouring counties after her husband (Nduka) undergone several office,he prioritized acquisition of a CT- V Dr. Arnold Mamadi, Chief Officer in charge serious head injuries, accidents victims, construction of satellite blood transfusion cancer, cardiovascular and kidney scans. Scan,a vital equipment at any referral centre. of medical services said the initiative will “Our people in Masana area hospital. ‘Our people can not be going have been suffering for a diseases, adnominal and pelvic scans at a bridge the gap and ensure affordable, “The CT scan showed that his spinal cord all the way upto Eldoret to seek CT Scan long time travelling to other subsidised price,” said Dr Juma. Speaking during a groundbreaking available and accessible services to all. had fractured and the head had serious services.I now want to encourage Vihiga areas which is expensive but ceremony at Vihiga referral injuries. His foot that had swollen was residents to register for NHIF so that they “We have been borrowing blood from from now on they will receive He added: Referrals outside the hospital hospital,Governor, Dr. Wilber Ottichilo also scanned and it was discovered that can get these services at an affordable neighboring counties because demand in treatment at Mwoki which has significantly reduced. We only refer said the blood transfusion center will be the veins were also fractured. A catheter rates.’ Said Dr.Ottichilo. the county is high, the center will reduce will make services affordable, patients with blood haemorrhage (blood fully operational in a years’ time. was also inserted ion his body to enable the cost incurred and time seeking blood available and accessible to bleeding in the brain) to Moi Teaching the heart to continue pumping,” said Ms According to Vihiga County Referral “Vihiga County will now have a fully from other counties”, Said Dr.Mamadi. them.” Said Dr. Ottichilo. and Referral Hospital since they require surgery and stabilization in an Intensive Amukoa. Hospital (VCR) Medical Superintendent, equipped blood transfusion center. At Dr.Vitalis Juma, by April 2019 170 The center will cost 20 million shillings Care Unit (ICU) which we don’t have,” the moment the referral hospital can Alfred Ukiru,area resident Vihiga County Medical Services Chief patients who needed CT-Scan services at only give 53% of the required amount and it will help in collection of 1,200 pints expressed their gratitude saying According to Allan Sabwe, a radiographer, Officer, Arnold Mamadi, said the CT scan the facility had successfully undergone of blood leaving 47% to the risk of losing per month which is the consumption rate their dream of having a health chest and abdominal scans costs Sh7000, has improved diagnostic services at the treatment since the machine’s installation lives” said Dr. Ottichilo. across the county. facility closer to them is now a head scans Sh5,500, vertebral spinal facility saying it has the capacity of being in February 2019. reality. upgraded to 64-slice CT Scan machine. This will help accident victims along cord Sh6,000 and angiography Sh20,000 Chavakali – Kisumu road who are usually saying all prices are subsidised. The facility is expected to serve Dr Mamadi said a 64-slice CT scan rushed to Vihiga Referral Hospital only for more than 50,000 people in Most hospitals in the region charge machine combines a series of X-ray views some to be referred in the neighbouring and out of Mwoki and it will be between Sh10,000 – Sh40,000 depending taken from many different angles, and counties due to blood shortage in the set up on a three acre piece of on the type of scan being taken. then uses a computer to reconstruct the facility. land donated by Mwoki PAG. “slices” to produce actual pictures. Isaiah Nduka aged 62 years, was among Dr. Ottichilo expressed his satisfaction Health is Vihiga governor’s the first patients to be treated at the “In the next financial year, we will erect saying the center will provide the much priority,hence consuming close Vihiga County Referral hospital after the an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and a High needed services close to Vihiga residents. to half of the county’s annual CT scan was installed. Dependency Unit (HDU) so that we Sharon Imali a medic attending to a budget. don’t refer our patients to other health Shuah Makungu a radiographer The center will go a long way in reducing patient donating blood at Vihiga Referral According to his wife, Mical Amukoa aged facilities. This will reduce costs both for examining a patient during a CT scan at the cost and time used to seek blood Hospital. 54, after visiting five hospitals in vain, the referral hospital and the patients,” the Vihiga County Referral Hospital. COUNTY NEWSLETTER | 2 3 | COUNTY NEWSLETTER HEALTH HEALTH OTTICHILO CARE A program that has increased hospital deliveries in Vihiga mothers to end maternal deaths. “The program has enabled me attend all the prenatal visits and I am sure to attend all the post-natal visits,” she says. She says expectant mothers enrolled on the scheme are accorded good care. Maureen Minayo,Ottichilo Care “I am not registered on NHIF but I was beneficiary receives a mattress and other able to get better treatment without pay, goodies from Vihiga governor Dr.Wilber thanks to the program,” says Ms Minayo. Ottichilo during Easter holiday. When we visited the house she is living in, we found she has converted the sitting room into her makeshift bedroom. H.E Dr Wilber Ottichilo with the ottichilocare team visiting maureen minayo who delivery until the child attains 18 months delivered twins at gaigedi village under ottichilocare programme. in addition to free delivery. At this She had an old matress,but when Vihiga point,the county government also issues governor Dr.Wilber Ottichilo visited Governor Ottichilo carries baby Winfred during a visit to Emuhaya sub county She enrolled in the scheme in November the child with a birth certificate,which her,among the things he bought her was hospital.She was delivered under the Ottichilo Care program. last year and is home with goodies from gives many mothers a nightmare. Apart a new matress. the plan that was launched during the 21 from maternal care,the program also same time last year. promotes family planning.Couples are ‘We shall continue supporting these Number of Health Care Centres t is a few minutes to 11am and the sun December 2018, enabling her visit advised to have healthy spacing of women.We shall ensure that no woman is already high up, scorching.