Marsabit readies ambulances, drugs and water treatment ahead of El Niño

By Nyabande Orwa.

Marsabit County has stationed ambulances across all four sub-counties and ordered drugs and water treatment supplies, as it braces for El Niño rains.

Marsabit County Health Executive Malicha Boru says the health department has strengthened emergency response ahead of the rains, with 16 ambulances now fully operational.

“We anticipate the issues of El Niño to happen, and we anticipate more referrals to happen. We have strategically placed ambulances in specific places,” said Malicha.

Marsabit has five ambulances, Laisamis four, Moyale four and North Horr three.

Malicha said the county owns 28 ambulances in total. Twelve are grounded: they were bought in 2013, and he said repairing them is not worth the cost.

The department has also stepped-up surveillance to catch any outbreak of flood-related disease early. Malicha said essential drugs have already been ordered to treat illnesses that tend to spread during flooding.

He warned that flash floods would bring a risk of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) related diseases, which means the county needs water treatment supplies.

“If it rains and we have flash floods, we will have the diseases we call WASH, and that needs water treatment. We have planned for that with KEMSA. We have made the requisition and we are expecting the supplies early next week,” he said.

Malicha urged non-governmental organisations to back the county’s efforts, particularly by supplying drugs and chemicals for treating drinking water and water used at home.

On staffing, Malicha said the county has seen major relief after an agreement between the national and county governments on hiring health workers under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme.

“On UHC, we have 112 who are working in our health facilities after the agreement between the national government and the county government. On that, we are good,” he said.