NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 2 – The Government has called in foreign doctors to help in the treatment of those who survived Saturday’s fuel tank tragedy in Molo that has so far claimed about 122 lives.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga said the experts from India and the United States, who would arrive on Tuesday, will help in plastic surgery and other reconstructive operations on patients recovering in various hospitals in Nakuru, Molo and Nairobi.
“The capacity of our health facilities has been overstretched and we need this collaborative effort from our friends in coping with the twin tragedies of Nakuru and Nakumatt,” said the PM
He was speaking at the Kenyatta National hospital on Monday when he visited the hospital to console survivors of the tragedy and follow up on their recovery progress.
Mr Odinga at the same time said the government would deliver enough food to patients who required special diets for their recovery.
“The foodstuffs will be distributed to Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi Hospital, Aga Khan and Mater hospital where the burned patients are recovering,” he announced.
The Prime Minister said that of the 47 survivors airlifted to hospitals in Nairobi yesterday, seven have since died. He however noted that the remaining 40 were making steady recovery progress.
He commended the hospitals for their quick response, saying that the efforts had gone a long way in saving lives.
“We however need to improve on our disaster preparedness to forestall losses occasioned by such disasters in the future,” he added.
Noting that the government would continue to equip public hospitals with modern apparatus, the PM said the government was keen on modernising the hospitals to cope with emergencies of such magnitude.
He once again appealed to Kenyans to donate blood for the survivors.
The Chief Executive Officer of KNH Dr Jotham Micheni said the hospital had received support from Kenyans of goodwill but added that more assistance was still needed, especially blood.
Saying that they were following up the recovery of the patients round the clock, Dr Micheni noted that KNH had dispatched specialists to the Nakuru Provincial Hospital and other hospitals in the area, to help with the treatment of survivors.
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