News Categories: Health and Sanitation

Kapsabet County Referral Hospital’s medical laboratory has received ISO 15189:2012 accreditation from the Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS). The recognition follows the spirited process of the hospital management and laboratory staff in ensuring that the department conforms to international guidelines. Accreditation in medical Laboratory services is a preferred framework for building quality medical laboratory systems that are targeted to result in quality tests.

ISO 15189:2012 is a set of international standards formulated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 15189:2012 touches on the competence of medical laboratories to deliver services in terms of but not limited to: a medical laboratories quality services, its managements systems, the staff technical competence and the calibration of instruments.

The award follows vigorous preparation by the management and staff through formal applications, on-site assessments and thorough examination of the laboratories quality and management systems.

The recognition shows that Kapsabet County Referral Hospital Laboratory is a legally identifiable entity and also appropriately registered as a medical laboratory that offers quality services according to international standards.

“The premier referral of our facility means the laboratory meets international standards for quality and competence in medical laboratories. Indeed, medical laboratory testing plays a crucial role in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease in patients and attaining this certification is a major boost towards actualizing our vision to provide world class healthcare services for our people,” said Ruth Koech, CEC for Health.

Medical laboratory tests are vital in the patient journey because they play a critical role in informing the patient and medical personnel of any underlying issues. Moreover, laboratory test results play a critical role in decision making therefore its importance cannot be taken for granted. There is no room for error.

Patients ought to perform tests from medical laboratories that are standardized and that conduct tests with minimal error and according to international standards.

Kapsabet Medical Superintendent Dr. Daniel Kemboi hailed the achievement, saying the results from the facility lab can be trusted worldwide.

“Our certification means results obtained at this laboratory can now be replicated anywhere in the world allowing it to support training and research. Residents can now enjoy efficient laboratory services due to increased confidence in test results,” Dr. Kemboi.

The Laboratory is manned by County Medical Lab Coordinator (CMLC) Richard Kendagor, who coordinate all Lab services in the county and Lab Manager Julius Maiyo who runs day to day activities at KRCH and 18 health workers who operate 24 hours from Monday to Sunday and on public holidays, providing emergency services to all the hospital’s clinical departments.

This Accreditation formally recognises a Kapsabet County Referral Hospital Laboratory as commendable, and therefore members of the public are encouraged to identify and select the hospital as the facility of choice to receive testing and measurement services that meet customer needs.

In reference to the advertisement by the Public service commission, applications are invited for additional vacancies under the Universal Health Coverage Programme in Nandi County.

The job description of the posts and mode of application can be accessed at www.jobs.nandicounty.go.ke

How to Apply:

Interested and qualified persons should complete and submit Job Application Form from the county website www.jobs.nandicounty.go.ke so as to be received on or before 20th May 2020 at 5.00 p.m

N/B No hard copy application will be received.

The County Government of Nandi through the Department of Health is instituting a number of roadway screening checkpoints for COVID-19 virus at all its major entry border points of Mlango, Kopere, Chakaiya, Kaimosi, Serem, Lemook, Lessos, Kamasai and other routes commonly used by drivers.

Speaking in Kapsabet over the weekend, the CEC for Health Ruth Koech said the screening will involve checking the temperature of everyone travelling into the county using non-contact gun thermometers. The exercise is aimed at detecting anyone with fever or corona virus symptoms.

She said the checkpoints will be manned by the police and public health officers who will be able to attend to travellers using non-contact gun thermometers.

The officers will also provide prevention recommendation messages to travellers.

“It is prudent for travellers who are sick to delay or avoid travel, in particular for elderly travellers and people with chronic diseases or underlying health conditions,” said Ruth.

The CEC also cautioned the public from buying fake masks which have flooded the market. She advised residents to buy N95 or certified masks which have been recommended by the Ministry of Health.

General recommendations for personal hygiene, cough etiquette and keeping a distance of at least one metre from persons showing symptoms and wearing a mask remain particularly important for all travellers.

Kobujoi Ward residents in Aldai Sub County will soon be able to access multiple health care services as the construction Kobujoi Hospital Complex is taking shape.

The County Government of Nandi is building the 29 million Hospital, which will offer primary and specialty care to create a seamless health care experience for residents of Kobujoi ward and surrounding areas.

The modern Hospital will house urgent care and outpatient services, including primary care, oncology, orthopedics, obstetrics/gynecology and pediatric care. Many more services, including lab, imaging and pharmacy will also be offered.

In reference to the advertisement by the Public Service Commission, the County Government of Nandi has begun the recruitment of 142 healthcare workers to effectively realise its goal in the provision of universal health care.

Through an advert issued by the Nandi County Public Service Board on Saturday, said prospective applicants have up to Thursday, April 16 to submit their online applications for the recruitment exercise.

The description of the posts and mode of application can be accessed on the County’s website: https://nandi.go.ke

As confirmed cases of coronavirus increase in Kenya, the County Government of Nandi is implementing precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus and in order to protect its residents and other persons of concern from becoming infected with the virus.

The county is mobilizing resources both internal and from partners in readiness to combat Covid-19 pandemic. The department of health received over 2200 gowns from the Love Kenya Foundation (formerly known as Lee Sisters Foundation) led by Ms.Sanaa Lee and Jan Fredrickson based in the United States of America and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) from Eastern Produce Kenya (EPK) Ltd.

The county has an 18 bed isolation centre in Nandi Hills hospital where it is working towards expanding to a forty-bed capacity isolation facility within the coming week. The county has procured and received PPEs, medical supplies and equipment to start off in combating the pandemic.

Speaking while receiving the donations, Governor Sang said that the county recognizes that health workers are at the frontline of providing care to patients therefore they need all the support they can get during this critical period.

He thanked Love Kenya Foundation and Eastern Produce Kenya for their continued support.

The new Chepterwai Hospital complex is starting to take shape. The construction of the medical complex is ahead of schedule.

“We believe that we’re going to become a destination hospital for the region,” said Ruth Koech the CEC for Health.

The hospital is being constructed to house a 16-bed female ward, 16-bed male ward, 4-bed ICU, 2 theatres, a Cathlab, Blood bank, Imaging (x-ray, ultrasound, 9. Modern laboratory, Emergency room, 4 Private rooms and Administration offices.

The County Government of Nandi has embarked on a vigorous fumigation, disinfection, and sanitation exercise targeting market places and all public spaces to curb the rapid spread of the Coronavirus.

While leading the exercise in Kapsabet town, Governor Stephen Sang said that the government is targeting bus stops, markets and other areas with high social gatherings.

Governor Sang urged traders to maintain the highest level of hygiene to avert an outbreak in market centres.

He appealed to residents to allow the public health officers access to different critical areas so the exercise can be a success.

The CEC for Health Ruth Koech emphasized the need for everyone to play their part in reducing the risk of transmission, while urging high levels of hygiene and maintenance of social distancing.

She urged the members of the public to continue adhering to the instruction from the Ministry of Health on prevention and control and support government initiatives put in place to curb the virus.

Markets fumigated so far include Nandi Hills and Chepterit as the exercise is being rolled to other major towns and markets in Nandi County.

The County Government of Nandi is intensifying efforts against Covid-19 by taking all preventive measures to prevent and counter the spread of the pandemic.

The County Department of Health will kick off a mass exercise of disinfecting market places across the county, Kapsabet GK prison and bus parks as a mitigation measure of containing the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

The virus is known to survive more on surfaces than on air, especially on walls and wood and hence these efforts.

The County Director of Public Health Alfred Bichii said that the department is taking the lead in ensuring all necessary precautions with regard to the covid-19 are observed.

He said the whole fumigation exercise forms part of a countywide disinfection of public spaces to control the spread of the disease.

Bichii said the exercise would continue until the spread of the disease was contained.

He urged Nandi residents to stay at home as much as they could and take care of their children at this time.

The County Government of Nandi has proposed measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including preparing hospitals, closure of athletics training camps, suspension of foreign athletes coming to train in Nandi, hawking of food and fruits outside the designated banned, suspension of visits by members of the public to the County Government offices for the next 30 days, Boda Boda riders prohibited from carrying more than one pillion (passenger) and all night clubs shall remain closed until further notice.

Families are also encouraged to postpone weddings for the next 30 days and all open-air markets closed for 30 days.

The County has set aside two isolation centers, one in Nandi Hills County Hospital and another in the Kapsabet County Referral Hospital.

Training of key staff is on-going in conjunction with Ministry of Health and so far over 176 first line healthcare workers have been trained.

Community health outreach strategy that is on-going have been urged to focus more on media and door-to-door approaches due to the banning of public gatherings.

Two ambulances have been exclusively set aside for COVID-19 emergency response evacuation.

Visits to inpatients in hospitals by family members is banned, whenever necessary it shall be restricted to only a caretaker.

According to the CEC for Health Ruth Koech, both citizens and the government need to work together to ensure prevention of the spread of the virus in Nandi. “In this joint effort there is no place for panic, but definitely for more care,” she said.