State constructs Sh950 million ICU in Malindi sub county hospital

ICU beds at the new Kerugoya County Referral Hospital. [Courtesy, Standard]

The government is constructing an eight-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Malindi sub-county hospital to serve Kilifi, Tana River and Lamu counties in phase two of the Malindi Integrated Social and Health Development Programme (MISHDP-II).

The project is expected to improve the social and economic development of Malindi and Magarini sub-counties in Kilifi county in line with the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

Phase two of the project is funded by a Sh950 million concessional loan from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and is being implemented by the Coast Development Authority (CDA).

Under the project, the 11.5km Mjanaheri-Ngomeni road will be tarmacked, and a footbridge constructed at Burangi in the Magarini sub-county.

Students from Ngomeni Secondary, Ngomeni Primary, Burangi Primary, Midodoni Primary and Rasi Primary schools will also benefit from infrastructure and bursaries.

Sixty best-performing students will be awarded bursaries at Ngomeni Secondary School as part of the project.

Speaking during a tour of CDA projects in Mombasa and Kilifi counties, East African Community and Regional Development Cabinet Secretary Peninah Malonza, said that she was passionate about the ICU project.

The ICU is expected to ease the suffering of patients from Tana River and Lamu counties who are often referred to Malindi but end up at the Coast General Referral and Teaching Hospital in Mombasa county.

“I am interested in this particular project because, during Covid-19, we had several emergencies and critical cases that came up. We did not have an ICU in Kilifi county. People were being referred from Tana River, Lamu and Kilifi to Mombasa county,” said CS Malonza.

She said the CDA has the mandate to initiate projects that cover several counties and cater for a larger population, hence, the ICU project was timely.

"They (CDA) have initiated this project that has been funded by the government of Kenya through a concession loan from the Italian government,” she said.

The CS inspected a dormitory which is 60 per cent complete, four classrooms and a multi-purpose hall at Ngomeni Secondary School.

She said the government is committed to ensure learners have a conducive learning environment in schools.

“This project is not to develop Ngomeni Secondary School alone, there are more than five schools that will benefit from this project,” said Malonza.

The CS issued Sh300,000 bursaries to 21 students of Ngomeni Secondary School.

Regional Development and Asal Principal Secretary Kello Harsama assured that the government, through CDA, was addressing problems associated with decades of marginalisation and underdevelopment in Kilifi County.

“We have visited schools and communities, and we have seen a lot of development gaps, which we are trying to address through CDA,” Harsama said.

CDA Managing Director Mohamed Keinan, said all the projects are determined by the needs of the communities.