The government has approved Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret as the first Covid-19 testing centre outside Nairobi.
In a statement sent to newsrooms on Thursday, signed by North Rift Economic Bloc Chairman Jackson Mandago, the hospital in Eldoret will start the testing in 10 days.
The governors had been pushing the national government to establishing a testing centre at the hospital.
Health workers at MTRH will be testing 960 samples within eight hours and the centre is expected to ease the strain at the National Influenza Centre in Nairobi.
Training of health workers who will be working at the testing centre is complete.
MTRH formed a 24-member team amid the new coronavirus crisis.
Governors under North Rift Economic Bloc (Nored) had earlier asked the government to certify MTRH as a national testing centre for Covid-19 to complement the National Influenza Center and Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri).
They said the hospital has the capacity to help counties in the western part of the country to carry out tests rather than sending samples to Nairobi.
The region has created isolation wards and health workers and security personnel have been trained on how to handle the deadly virus.
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) said there need to increase Intensive Care Units (ICU) in all the Level 4 and 5 facilities in all the counties in addition to the isolation facilities being prepared across the county to fight coronavirus..
“Facility with ICU level support is set aside for isolation and treatment of health workers that may be affected by COVID-19. This will minimise re-infection of other patients from health workers assuming duties after recovery,” said Dr Ouma Oluga.