Lamu County has intensified efforts to expand access to critical healthcare services with a planned High Dependency Unit (HDU) and an ongoing oxygen plant project at Faza Sub-County Hospital.

Lamu Deputy Governor Designate and CECM for Health, Dr. Mbarak M. Bahjaj, accompanied Kenya Red Cross Secretary General Dr. Idris Ahmed for an inspection tour of the facility.

The visit aimed to assess the hospital’s readiness for the new Critical Care Unit and monitor progress on the oxygen plant, which is being constructed by the county government with technical support from Amref Health Africa.The Kenya Red Cross will support the development of the HDU at the hospital, which is expected to be completed by December 2025.

Reducing Referrals, Saving Lives

Speaking during the tour, Dr. Bahjaj emphasized that the two projects will ease the pressure on King Fahd Hospital in Lamu Island by reducing emergency referrals from remote areas.

“This will significantly improve access to emergency and life-saving services for patients in Faza and surrounding communities,” he said.

The HDU and oxygen plant are part of Lamu County’s broader strategy to decentralize specialized health services to the islands and boost response capacity in emergencies.

Senior Officials Join the Visit

Others present during the tour included Project Coordinator Mr. Tarik Twaha, Chief of Staff Ms. Sarah Nduku, Lamu Red Cross County Coordinator Mr. Abdulhakim Abdul, and Director of Medical Services Dr. Abdulkadir Omar, among other senior county and Red Cross officials.