The Kiambu government will recruit 120 medics to reinforce its healthcare workforce in the fight against Covid-19.
Governor James Nyoro on Monday said the County Public Service Board will complete the recruitment by Friday. Those to be hired include 10 anaesthetists and critical care nurses. The executive will oversee the deployment of successful candidates in health facilities.
The recruitment comes as Covid-19 cases surge. As of Monday, the county had recorded 1,550 cases and 40 deaths, according to Governor Nyoro.
“We are leaving nothing to chance in the fight against the pandemic in the county as we seek to flatten the curve. We will hire more health workers who play a vital role in the containment and fight against the virus,” Nyoro said.
He spoke in Ruiru town while flagging off 210 tonnes of foodstuffs worth Sh28.5 million, including 130 tonnes of maize flour, 26 tonnes of beans, 26 tonnes of cooking oil and 26 tonnes of porridge flour. They were to be distributed by MCAs to 33,000 needy residents across 60 wards.
The food was purchased by the county government after MCAs passed a Sh30 million supplementary budget. Nyoro said they fell short of the amounts needed to cater for the needs of all poor families but assured that they will do more to help the less fortunate.
“We have already reached out to 15,000 needy Kiambu residents and we are continuing to support Covid-19-afflicted families. We will procure more foodstuffs once the Treasury releases money to the county,” he said.
The county chief was accompanied by his deputy Joyce Ngugi and MCAs. He said his administration will launch construction of a Sh60 million 150-bed facility at the Ruiru Level 4 Hospital this week as it seeks to increase Covid-19 isolation beds from 530 to 1,000.
“With the way the curve is rising, we are not taking chances and we want to be ready with enough beds to cater for patients. Funds for the Ruiru project are intact and construction will commence towards the end of this week,” he said.
He also noted that post-Covid-19, the county government and corporate partners from Ruiru will put up a modern facility at the hospital to improve health services in the densely populated subcounty.
Nyoro appealed to residents to adhere to the Ministry of Health guidelines to curb the spread of the virus. He said the current situation is hurting businesses and the only solution is compliance with guidelines so life can return to normal.
He cautioned that should cases spike, the county will require more than 2,000 beds by December for severe cases.
“If we fail to comply with the MoH guidelines, our hospitals will be overwhelmed by cases between the end of October and December. We will require more beds, more medics and our accounts will be overstretched. Let’s just observe the set guidelines for our own sake,” he said.