The County Executive Committee Member for Health and Sanitation, Dr Francis Iris Mariao, embarked on his first official visit to Lodwar County Referral Hospital to inspect service delivery, since taking over the health docket.

CECM was accompanied by the Chief Officer for Preventative and the Department’s administration staff. He also met the Hospital Management Team.

The visit was to inspect the hospital’s specialized services, identify staffing gaps, assess infrastructural development, and explore opportunities to enhance service delivery.

“LCRH serves as the reference point for the best healthcare services in Turkana. We should strive at all times, to provide high quality and specialized services,” said Dr Mariao.

In a meeting with the Hospital Management Team, CECM Mariao pledged to address the critical issues of staffing levels in various cadres, and their continuous training and career development.

He commended the exceptional capabilities and skills of the hospital staff, acknowledging the provision of high-quality healthcare services.

Nevertheless, Dr Mariao asked the team to identify existing gaps to enable the facility to transform into a teaching and referral hospital.

CCO Lomorukai assured the hospital staff of his unwavering support, emphasizing the collective responsibility to manage patients effectively.

The Director for LCRH, Dr Esekon Epem, suggested for enhancement of the capabilities of sub-county hospitals. This, he said, would reduce the referrals, allowing LCRH to focus on its core function of delivering specialized care.

As part of the inspection, the health CECM conducted an on-site visit to the proposed Level 6 Hospital in Kanakemer.