UASIN GISHU, Kenya- The provision of healthcare services is expected to improve in Uasin Gishu County after Kenya’s First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto announced an ambitious plan to ease the movement of medical samples from one health facility to another.
According to Mama Rachel, the new technology, one of its kind, enhances healthcare access, particularly for patients in remote areas, by cutting down on travel time and guaranteeing prompt diagnosis.
The first lady spoke on Tuesday, June 11, at Huruma Sub-County Hospital on the outskirts of Eldoret town.
“This is the first project of its kind in the country where the Uasin Gishu county will now use drone technology to collect medical samples from 117 public health facilities in the county for analysis at a central facility and relaying the results back to the health centres electronically,” Mama Rachel announced.
How the new drone technology came to be
The drone-powered diagnostic service was launched through collaboration between the county government of Uasin Gishu, Healthmate from Israel, Wingcopter from Germany, and Siemens Group.
“This is a national case study on the optimisation of healthcare resources by leveraging technology to ensure proper diagnosis before treatment,” the first lady added.
Mama Rachel observed that the partnership will further improve healthcare access for patients, especially those in far-flung areas who have been travelling to main towns to access quality laboratory testing.
“They will now enjoy the same health services at their nearby health facilities,” she explained.
According to the first lady, she had received information that, for example, the drone would transport medical samples from the Chagaiya Health Centre in Ainabkoi constituency, the furthest healthcare centre in Uasin Gishu, to Huruma Sub-County Hospital in just seven minutes.
“By road, the samples would have taken over 40 minutes or even an hour, depending on the traffic on the highway,” said Mama Rachel.
What healthcare experts think about drone technology
However, when asked for a comment, Evans Wafula, a Nairobi-based pharmaceutical technologist, observed that the technology would be effective if proper management (proper labelling of samples) and logistics were implemented.
“Also, I hope that the drones have been fitted with cooling systems (ice bags) to maintain proper storage of samples during transit,” Wafula told Y News.
Meanwhile, during her visit to the North Rift County, Mama Rachel also officiated the opening of the Mama Rachel Ruto Maternity Hospital in Eldoret.
Y News understands that the hospital is a specialised maternity facility that will serve Uasin Gishu County.
How mothers will benefit from the Huruma hospital
However, Mama Rachel Ruto expressed concern that 14.4% of women in Uasin Gishu cannot access specialised services in one hour and that the launch of the maternal facility will bolster health provision for mothers.
Mama Rachel reiterated that the hospital, with its 70-bed capacity and state-of-the-art equipment, will ensure the safety and well-being of mothers and children in the county and beyond, “as we believe no mother should lose their life during childbirth.”
“We thank the County Government of Uasin Gishu for their commitment to healthcare and for building a model that can be used as a benchmark for other counties in Kenya.
What Governor Jonathan Bii said during the event
At the same time, area Governor Jonathan Bii said the facility provides mothers with a dedicated referral centre for various health conditions, including gynaecological units for reproductive health issues. “Therefore, it ensures that curative, reproductive health, maternal, and child health services and enhanced skill development among healthcare workers are realised,” said the county boss.
Governor Bii noted that his administration will continue looking for more partnerships to improve services for the people of Uasin Gishu County.
“A healthy community is the foundation of a productive society, and that is why we are committed to improving and equipping all 138 healthcare facilities in the county,” Governor Bii explained.
Kisumu and Homa Bay Counties have already partnered in an initiative to enhance healthcare facilities in the region through quick delivery of medical supplies.
The counties use airship drone technology in a piloting programme, reducing distances by more than half.
Drone developers working on the project noted that it will be convenient and safer to transport medicine to remote areas using this technology.
