Nakuru County currently has 458 isolation beds set across 19 facilities in the county against the 300-bed capacity requirement.
In a bid to upscale the number to 1000, the county has identified health institutions that can be converted into isolation facilities to cater for any eventualities should the numbers continue surging.
Governor Lee Kinyanjui announced that at least 500 more isolation beds would be set up at the upcoming new outpatient block that is currently under construction at the Nakuru Level five hospital.
Another 50 beds will be established at the Gilgil hospital that is also currently in construction.
The governor further disclosed that the Bondeni Sub County Maternity hospital would be converted into an isolation facility with a capacity for 80 beds. In that regard, expectant mothers will be transferred to the Margaret Kenyatta Mother and Baby Unit which has enough room to accommodate more mothers.
Other hospitals that have been earmarked as isolation facilities include the PGH Annexe which has a 64 bed capacity and Elburgon Sub County hospital in Molo Sub County that has a capacity of 37 beds,
Other isolation facilities have also been set up at Njoro and Sachangwan with 14 and 10 beds respectively.
Kiptangwanyi health facility has 32 isolation beds while Kabazi, Subukia, Nyamamithi and Kiptagich have 20, 10, 30 and 10 beds respectively.
Other health facilities that have been equipped with isolation beds include Maiella, Kipkonyo, Ndabibi and Moi Ndabi dispensaries. The health facilities are spread out across the county in order to ensure that patients can be accommodated within their local areas.
He further disclosed that an oxygen plant had been set up at the county referral hospital.
“With a fully functional oxygen plant, we can supply oxygen to Covid-19 patients who need it in the isolation centres so far established,” he said.
Kinyanjui said that currently there were 20 Covid-19 patients currently on treatment at the PGH isolation facility, 18 at Langa langa, 13 in Naivasha and 1 in a private facility.
He further added that out of the 60 patients who had been placed on home based care, 24 had already recovered while 36 are still on observation.
He urged Nakuru residents to follow the laid protocols in order to keep infections to a minimum.
