This archive report was first published on 29 September 2019.
On October 14 last year, Prof Chris Wanjala, a renowned literary critic, passed away in Bungoma due to a lack of immediate medical attention. The nearest hospital capable of handling life-threatening emergencies was the Moi Referral and Teaching Hospital, located three counties away and a two-hour drive from Bungoma.
LifeCare Hospitals has addressed this issue by establishing a Level Five referral facility in Bungoma, catering to the region's three million residents. The hospital, which has been operational for two years, is set to unveil upgraded services in May 2020.
According to Ashok Mehta, vice president of strategic business expansion for the Lifecare Hospital Group, the region's residents require affordable and highly accessible health and hospital services. The hospital is currently installing two world-class modular theatres and a state-of-the-art intensive care unit.
LifeCare Hospital offers a range of services, including dialysis, which was previously unavailable in Western Kenya. The hospital also provides dental and optical services, cardio diagnostics, and minor and major surgeries. The facility has imported medical machinery from India, Dubai, and Germany, including a 1.5 Tesla MRI machine.
Mehta emphasized the importance of having medical specialists on standby, stating, 'We will have an ICU in a sterile and temperature-controlled environment, with advanced MRI machinery and medical surgeons and specialists on standby.'
