The first batch of 170 Jua Kali beds out of the 500 procured by President Uhuru Kenyatta in July 2020 has been flagged off for distribution.
This was done by Principal Secretary Eng. Karanja Kibicho, Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache, and Industrialization Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina on Wednesday, March 24.
"Here is the first batch of the 500 jua kali ICU beds procured from three young innovators following H.E. President Kenyatta's directive last year. Each county will receive some as part of GoK's response to COVID-19 and efforts to popularize the "Buy Kenya Build Kenya" concept," said PS kibicho.
According to Kibicho, the 170 beds will be distributed to 14 counties with an urgent demand while the other counties share the remaining 330 that will be delivered progressively.
The beds are complete with heavy-duty wheels, a drip stand, a table stand for comfort while eating, space for the storage of an oxygen tank, and hideaway bed rails.
The youths caught the governments attention after Images and videos went viral on the internet in 2020 showing their innovations. The artisans are set to receive Ksh32.5 million for the beds.
The distribution comes at a time when the country is battling its third wave of the pandemic and health facilities have run out of beds, with the increase in the number of patients being admitted. Health practitioners have alerted the public that both public and private facilities are full.
“All our Machakos Level 5 hospital’s 15 ICU beds & additional 12 HDU beds (Total 27) full with severe Covid-19 patients. All Machakos' 42 ICU/HDU beds with oxygen points are also full. People are waiting for others to die to get a bed,” warned Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua.
The Ministry of Health announced yesterday that there are 100 patients currently admitted to various health facilities countrywide, while 110 patients are on Home Based Isolation and Care. 135 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU, 55 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen with 55 of them in the general wards. 13 patients are in the High Dependency Unit (HDU).
