Former President's County With No Ventilator

Ventilator set up as seen in a hospital.
Ventilator set up as seen in a hospital.
Facebook

A ventilator is supposed to take over the body's breathing process when a disease has caused lungs to fail, till a patient recovers. For residents of Baringo County, Covid-19 patients with severe disease would have to be sent to other counties as no hospital in the entire county has even one of these life-saving machines.  

Baringo Woman Representative, Gladwell Tungo, on Wednesday, April 29, during a donation drive at Baringo Huduma Centre, lamented about this as she donated water tanks, facemasks and hand sanitisers for the residents.

''The only major problem that I have seen is that till now there is no single hospital in Baringo County that has a ventilator. We are really praying to God that He does not allow this Covid-19 pandemic to reach this county.

Baringo County Women Representative Gladwell Tungo
Baringo County Women Representative Gladwell Tungo.
Facebook
Gladwell Tungo

''Kaptibor Isolation Centre has no ventilator, this means that in case a problem arises it will be hard to manage it. I am calling on the national government to intervene and assist this county get ventilators, and also help in capacity building so as to manage this disease,'' she stated.

She urged for a more co-ordinated approach in ensuring crucial facilities around the country were well equipped.

''These residents are also Kenyans, they do not only belong to Baringo County. Anything that affects them affects Kenyans too, the government step in and help the people of Baringo."

She alluded to the effectiveness of the famed 'Michuki rules' in the public transport industry during the tenure of former Transport Minister, the late John Michuki, stating that it was only that level of adherence to Covid-19 rules would prevent further transmission of the virus. 

''It is a pity that some of the people are not able to purchase masks because of the unaffordability. That is why we have to donate some for them but do not put on these masks when you only see police around. They are meant to protect you. When Michuki told us to put on safety belts we dismissed him, later on, we learned that they were helping,'' she added.

The county is home Kenya's longest-serving President, the late Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi, who took over the realms of power after the death of the nations founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on August 22, 1978.

President Moi went to rule the country for 24 years, from 1978 to 2002 when he retired handing over the mantle of leadership to President Mwai Kibaki.

The situation in Baringo is contrasted with Nairobi County that has over 200 ventilators distributed over both private and public hospitals, with Mombasa County having over 50 ventilators distributed across the county. The coastal county has been a beneficiary of donations from well-wishers rallied by Governor Ali Hassan Joho. 

President Uhuru Kenyatta with former President Daniel arap Moi when he paid him a courtesy call at his Kabarnet Gardens residence in Nairobi on February 16, 2017.
President Uhuru Kenyatta with former President Daniel arap Moi when he paid him a courtesy call at his Kabarnet Gardens residence in Nairobi on February 16, 2017.
PSCU
  • .