At a time when the country is staring at the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the launch of the state of the art modern ICU facility and oxygen plant in Vihiga County couldn’t have come at a better.

With the latest statistics by the ministry of health indicating that the latest Covid-19 variant is dominant in the Lake Basin region, Vihiga Governor Wilber Otichilo says the newly launched oxygen plant will not only serve the people of Vihiga but also the neighbouring Kisumu residents.

The launch comes at a time when Kisumu County has recorded over 200 cases of the virus in about 3 days.

Speaking after the launch, Governor Otichilo said the Ksh60.8 million facility will offer a solution to the huge demand for oxygen in the region.

“We procured this facility to be be self reliant in provision of basic health services in the light of Covid-19. The facility will meet our oxygen demands and that of our neighbours,” he said.

He adds that the facility will cut on the huge cost incurred by residents seeking the services.

Patients in need of Oxygen have been consuming 800 litres of Oxygen per week in the area.

The new oxygen plant at Vihiga County Referral Hospital has the ability to produce 300 litres of Oxygen per minute, exceeding the current demand.

The oxygen plant and ICU bed facility were funded by the National Government in a program aimed at equipping health facilities in readiness for the Covid-19 surge.

The modern equipped 5-bed ICU facility will also address dire cases of the Covid-19 and the county government says it is ready to offer services to needy patients.

The County boss also received PPE donations from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

Health CECM Dr Amos Kutwa said the ICU could not have come at a better time since the world is grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vihiga County has so far recorded 323 Covid-19 cases and 21 deaths since the first Covid-19 case was reported in March 2020.