Page 36 - MANDERA-COUNTY- THE 2019 MAGAZINE

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Our journey towards universal healthcare

Ambulance referral system
HEALTH FOR ALL MISSION

Dr Mohamud Adan
CECM,Health
Services

The newly-constructed Elwak Accident and Emergency Centre
he advent of devolution provided a great sponsoring our medical staff to go for specialized planned oncology centre, healthcare services in
opportunity to transform the health sector trainings, thereby ensuring adequate local num- Mandera will be considerably transformed. The
Tlandscape in Mandera County. The health bers over the years to come. county government will also significantly improve
infrastructure was in a sorry state before 2013, services in all sub-county hospitals, with Elwak
with a paltry 33 facilities working at only 13% ca- When devolution took effect, the county ensured and Takaba awaiting the launch of new facilities.
pacity due to under-staffing, very poor medical that at least every sub-county had an ambulance
supplies, lack of modern equipment in addition on standby. Red Cross ambulances were initial- The Astana Global Conference on Primary Health
to a myriad of other factors. ly engaged to offer internal and external referral care made a global call to action; from ALMA –
services. Come 2017, Mandera took over fully ATA towards Universal Health Coverage and
Subsequently Mandera County Government has the ambulance services and county-owned am- SDGs with emphasis on Primary Health Care.
developed a focused policy to improve access to bulances were placed in five sub-counties. Mandera County’s focus on primary healthcare
quality healthcare services throughout the county Some of the areas that have benefited from this as a means of achieving high-quality sustaina-
to ensure it plays its crucial role in the realization elaborate referral system are Banisa, Elwak, Ku- ble, efficient and effective promotive, preventive,
of the Big 4 Agenda, Vision 2030, the sustainable tulo, Lafey, Mandera, Rhamu and Takaba. The curative, rehabilitative as well as palliative health
development goals (SDGs) as well as ensuring a number of referrals increased form 773 in 2017 services will no doubt contribute to our people’s
healthy population. to 1,638 in 2018. With an additional fleet of sev- well-being.
en ambulances expected in the financial year
We have made tremendous progress with the 2018/2019, referral services will be more efficient. Despite all this effort, challenges do exist, includ-
improvement in all health indicators, scoring little ing cross-border disease outbreaks from the
successes which have been acknowledged. neighbouring countries of Somalia and Ethiopia
The County Government has increased the spilling over into Mandera, as well as the large
Under the leadership of Governor Ali Roba, health budget over the years, so that our people number of patients from these countries seeking
health facilities have been improved from 33 to get quality services. Mandera County Referral health services at our facilities, constraining our
88, supplies are now timely and reliable through Hospital now has a new state-of-the art Acci- budgets. Our focus and commitment is to offer
KEMSA, human resource numbers stand at 864 dent and Emergency Centre that will offer ICU affordable quality care in line with the manifesto
from 154, with five specialists offering services and HDU services, endoscopy, renal, theatre, of Governor Ali Roba. Towards this, we say, let’s
at our County Referral Hospital, and some more radiology units, laboratory, specialised clinics travel together and stay on course to achieve this
expected back from studies within this year. We and amenity unit. Add to this a comprehensive noble goal.
have embarked on building our local capacity by maternal and newborn care unit, CT scan and a