The Lamu County Government, in collaboration with the Safaricom Foundation, launched a state-of-the-art Boat Ambulance at the King Fahd Hospital Jetty in Lamu Island earlier today.

The new boat ambulance, which is fully equipped with a powerful engine, will cut the time it takes to travel from Lamu East to King Fahd by boat from three hours to just 30 minutes. The advanced life support ambulance is fully kitted with facilities including a patient monitor, medical oxygen, infusion pump, delivery kit for pregnant mothers, surgical kit and a stretcher for the patient .

The initiative aims to develop higher level referral strategies covering movement of patients, specimens, parameters movement and specialists across all villages in Lamu with a special focus on Lamu East .

Speaking during the launch, Lamu County Governor H.E Fahim Twaha lauded Safaricom Foundation for its continued partnership to attain significant improvements in availability and readiness of critical equipment, infrastructure and medical technologies to facilitate service delivery and critical emergency services.

“This is a great milestone, the ambulance will ferry patients free of charge and it will be on duty 24/7. This type of collaboration demonstrates a viable approach to a long-term healthcare system that promotes better patient care and more effective treatment and emergency care,” he added.

Lamu County Government has successfully improved maternal health care by reducing maternal and newborn deaths by more than two-thirds thanks to collaboration with Safaricom Foundation and other partners, as well as heavy County investment in health infrastructure and employment of more health personnel. Other areas of collaboration with Safaricom Foundation include telemedicine and classroom development for Lamu County schools.

The Safaricom Foundation Chairman, Joseph Ogutu, lauded Lamu county government leadership for their cooperation and dedication to improving and expanding access to quality health care for all Lamu residents. He said that, as a result of the strong relationship with Safaricom Foundation, Lamu now has a maternity high dependency unit, New Born Units at King Fahd and Faza and a maternal and child health clinic in Mpeketoni Sub-County Hospital. A new medical laboratory is also set to be opened in June 2022 in Witu Hospital.

In its health agenda, Lamu County Government has remained committed to improve access to quality and affordable health care, utilization of health services, and population financial protection – through registration of over 20,000 households to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), digitization of all health services, upgrading of the county’s primary health facilities, distribution of medical supplies, employment of health workers, and development of health infrastructure.

_Ends_

For more information contact:

Lamu County Government Communications Office at info@lamu.go.ke