Untrained staff hurt Malindi hospital services

Malindi sub-county hospital urgently needs more trained technicians to operate digital medical equipment acquired in 2015.

This was revealed during a visit by the Presidential Delivery Unit committee to inspect the digital medical equipment.

The hospital's medical superintendent Evans Ogeto conceded that its medical imaging department was facing acute staff shortage and that it needed at least 12 new technicians.

Currently, only two technicians handle the X-Ray, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and the Ultra Sound departments.

"The two have to shuttle from one room to another to offer services to patients,” he said.

He said since the machines were brought in, the number of patients in need of specialised medical screening services that were initially only available in Nairobi and Mombasa had increased.

The cost of the services has also gone down from Sh40,000 to as low as Sh8,000.

“Between 2015 and now, we have seen a significant change," he said.

The head of the medical imaging department at the hospital, Erick Jambo, said the digital machines had made work easier and faster.

“We are now serving 1,500 patients in a month since the digital X-Ray machines were brought in, and we also have one movable machine that we can use in the wards,” he said.

At the MRI section, imaging technologist Bernard Orina told the visiting team he served up to 70 patients a day.

“Initially, we would serve 20 patients in a day, but the number has gone up," he said.

The Malindi sub-county hospital received equipment worth Sh750 million under the Managed Equipment Service project initiated by the national government three years ago.