Two coastal governors install ICU beds in their houses over COVID-19 fears

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Governors Amason Kingi of Kilifi, Ali Hassan Joho of Mombasa,Dhado Godana of Tana River and Granton Samboja of Taita Taveta during a past event.Two coastal governors are on the spot over installing ICU beds in their houses as their counties grapple with shortage of ICU beds PHOTO COURTESY

Two coastal governors are among rich people who have opted to install ICU beds in their houses as the risk of being infected with the deadly Coronavirus continues to become a reality.

This is according to the latest report from People daily that states five governors and a rich rift valley businessman have installed the facilities over fears of missing ICU beds in hospitals should they contract the deadly virus.

“One of the governors has a pre-existing medical condition while two others head counties which were severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic in April and May, which could explain why they rushed to install the machines, at a huge cost.” The report by the people daily states in part.

The paper wrote the story after an interview with a vendor who had installed the beds in the county head’s houses.

The report further indicates that the facilities were installed at a cost of not less than sh 10 million and the county bosses have gone ahead and hired standby medics to treat them and their families should they fall ill.

ICU Equipment which includes supplied medical gas systems, oxygen cylinders, dry air, ventilators, and patient monitors were also installed in the facilities.

Though the identity of the governors remains unknown, Siaya governor Cornel Rasanga who commented on the issue said rich people could opt to do it as a precautionary measure owing to the overwhelmed health systems.

“People putting up private ICU could be a possibility due to the overstretching in the hospitals but as a county (Siaya) we are working on 66 ICU beds which will be complete in two weeks. And it is not a must that one puts up an ICU facility, one can put up a related system because what is most important is oxygen,” said Rasanga.

The coast region currently has a cumulative total of 42 ICU beds with 36 of them being in hospitals in Mombasa county while the other 6 are in Msambweni Sub-county hospital.

Four counties namely: Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Tana River, and Lamu currently do not have a single ICU bed.

This comes just a day after it emerged that Migori county had set aside sh 4.1 million in the 2020/2021 fiscal year to purchase coffins.

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