The provision of healthcare services in Uyawi, South Sakwa Ward received a major boost on Tuesday when Governor James Aggrey Bob Orengo pledged to facilitate the newly upgraded health facility with equipment that match its new status.
The move to upgrade health facilities will certainly ease suffering of residents in that part of Siaya County.
Governor Orengo, who was on a development tour of South Sakwa said his admininistration will provide additional facilities at Uyawi Health Centre including an ambulance that will be on standby to respond to emergency cases.
“People from this parts of Siaya encounter difficulties in accessing health facilities beyond Uyawi and its a headache to transfer patients from the facility to Bondo by motorbike due to poor road network and that’s why priority will be given to this facility,” said the governor.
The County boss added that Bondo and Uyawi are quite a distance apart and that’s why an ambulance must be stationed at the facility to help those who require urgent transfer of patients.
“Even motorbike transportation is not healthy for expectant mothers,” the governor said in a light mood.
“As we do the Uyawi budget, it must be a proper one to factor in the standard requirements of hospitals or health centres in this category. In fact I am going to adopt it as my own, and not a county health facility,” said the governor, adding “The new hospital will be a landmark project in the region. You will not need to go to Bondo for treatment. All ailments will be treated here.”
The upgraded hospital will have a modern theatre, specialized maternity wards, expanded male and female wards among others.
Uyawi is one of the 6 health facilities that were upgraded to Level IV medical facilities under the Nyalore administration.
The others are Ong’ielo, Urenga, Tingwang’i, and Boro.
On the issue of poor road networks, Orengo promised to work closely with the area MCA Bismac Olang’o to help fix the roads because poor road network frustrates movements and therefore impacts development.
Governor Orengo at the same time called for legislation that would ensure safety of the artisanal miners.
“We do not want to see our people who eke a living through artisanal mining die deaths that can otherwise be avoided. We had proposed a legislation that if acted upon by the assembly, will have all mines assessed and only safe ones allowed to operate.”
Orengo clarified that his bid to have legislation enacted is not a call for closure of the mines but a strategy to ensure safety of miners.
“The legislation”, the governor said, “should also take into account of the condition of a road network that is destroyed by lorries transporting soil extracted from the mines.”
He was accompanied by area MCA Bismarck Olang’o, Water CECM Jacqueline Oduol, Director Water Henry Juma and Ex-Deputy Governor Ouna Onyango.
Mr Olang’o welcomed the idea to equip Uyawi health facility saying it will save locals from seeking health care services in distant Bondo.
Olang’o said that Orengo deserves re-election on the merit that his works speak volumes in his favour.
“In this budget, we have a new dispensary known as Ndula that is due for opening. In Sirongo, we have put a budget that will enable the construction of a modern market,” said the governor.
Mr. Olang’o further said the past two years that Orengo has been in office has witnessed an escalation of development projects in Siaya County and the governor’s critics tread on shaky ground embellishing facts in order to criticise the governor.
“I want to ask the public to help me defend Governor Orengo’s leadership. Even the KES 50 million rehabilitation of Olago water project which was launching today is a testament to the governor’s focused leadership and am certain the blueprint to connect water to homes will soon be actualised. I, for one, commit to work closely with the Governor to achieve this goal in the implementation of Phase II,” said Mr. Bismarck Olang’o.
Content supplied by Eric Juma, Directorate of Public Communication, County Government of Siaya
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