County Government of Laikipia

Last year marked a great shift in our health sector as it moved from a department where each facility operated as an individual unit, to the new Laikipia Health Service (LHS). It was birthed after a rigorous exercise of coming up with business plans for all our outlets highlighting their capacity and investment opportunities. Eventually, the business plans were integrated into one county business plan.

In the same year, LHS got approval for leasing medical equipment to improve service delivery.

Under Laikipia Health Service all health outlets in Laikipia were collapsed into one. This move was informed by the desire to have uniformity in service provision across all the 84 outlets. The uniformity entails having a common branding for all our outlets, similar uniform for our staff at various cadres, interdependency in service provision among outlets. To actualize this, we introduced clusters, whereby a group of facilities is placed together as a unit. This translates to ease in accessing health services for our people.

The use of technology shall make it easy for patients to access specialized health services without visiting the referral hospital in person. Sample referral form our outlets that do not have a laboratory unit has picked with speed and many patients are benefiting. Medical outreaches have also been highly appreciated by the beneficiaries who say they would miss their scheduled clinics due to a lack of money for transport to the referral hospital. LHS outlets that operated for only seven days a week are now running through the week, while those that only worked during the day have been operationalized to offer services twenty-four hours a day.

In 2021, LHS was positioned three countrywide in the number of people vaccinated against COVID-19. This was achieved due to a deliberate and intensive public awareness campaign on the need for vaccination and availing the vaccines in all the 84 outlets.

The number of households enrolled into NHIF by end of 2021 was 92,000 while those on the subsidized programs are 14,216. This is a great win as it will ensure that our people are able to access health services when they need them without worrying about payment.

The department also went further to seek accreditation for all our 84 Laikipia Health Service outlets with NHIF and Kenya Alliance Insurance for those with private insurance. This aimed to ensure people can access health services from their nearest LHS outlet.

Laikipia Health Service was also able to operationalize the mother and child unit at LHS-Nanyuki in 2021. Currently, mothers are being served at the new unit which has a capacity of 60 beds. There are other 30 beds in the amenity wing which is way higher than the previous one(which had a capacity of 25 beds). The LHS Nyahururu unit is coming up and is to be operationalized this year.

The year 2021 saw structural improvements undertaken in other facilities across the county including LHS-Ndindika which had renovations work and service workflow redefined. LHS-Ol moran got an extension of the outpatient department to accommodate the records and finance offices, pharmacy and pharmaceutical staff, and established a male ward in the inpatient department. LHS-Mutara also had a facelift and became the first outlet to attain the new LHS outlook. Currently, over 40 LHS outlets are undergoing renovations aiming at improving service delivery across the county.

A total of 230 workers were promoted in 2021 for their exemplary work.

Laikipia Health Service also conducted a successful eye surgery camp where 99 people benefited from free cataract eye surgery. This was in collaboration with the Lions eye unit and team Pankaj team.

The Hongera Mama Kit also made tremendous progress across the county in the same year. We recorded an increase of 26.87% in new ANC clients while those who completed the complementary 4 ANC increased by 6.51%. Skilled births also increased by 15.53%, meaning the number of mothers who visited our outlets for the delivery shots.