LAISAMIS — Residents of Laisamis Constituency in Marsabit County celebrated the inauguration of a new modern medical laboratory at Loglogo Health Centre. The facility, established to enhance access to comprehensive health services, marks a significant development in local healthcare infrastructure.
According to Kenya News Agency, the new Chief Executive Officer of Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP), which spearheaded the project in collaboration with Z. Boskovic Air Charters, the lab will provide curative, promotional, and preventive health services to the community. Schiff highlighted that this initiative is part of LTWP’s broader commitment to community development, which also encompasses water and education projects. He expressed satisfaction during the handover ceremony to the Marsabit County government, noting that the laboratory will save local residents from having to travel extensive distances for crucial diagnostic services.
The laboratory construction and equipment were funded by LTWP’s Wind of Change (WoC) foundation at a cost of over Sh15 million as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) gesture. Marsabit County’s Chief Officer for Health, Dr. Adan Alamin, welcomed the new facility as a major boost to health services in the area. He detailed that the county government is keen on maintaining strong partnerships with the private sector to accelerate local development.
Dr. Alamin also thanked LTWP for donating necessary reagents for the laboratory’s operations and confirmed that the county would ensure staffing of the facility with qualified medical personnel, including lab technologists. He remarked on the continuous contributions of LTWP to the health sector, referencing a recent project where the company funded a fully equipped male ward at Laisamis Sub-County Hospital costing Sh15.3 million.
Job Lengoiyap, Company Liaison Manager for LTWP, explained that the lab project was a direct response to community needs identified through public participation, ensuring its sustainability. He discussed the challenges faced by residents who previously traveled to distant hospitals in Marsabit, Isiolo, or further, for essential medical services.
Additionally, Jimmy Kibati, Managing Director of Boskovic Air Charters, detailed his company’s involvement in the project, emphasizing the critical role of medical laboratories in disease diagnosis and effective treatment. Kibati asserted that the new laboratory would also support research on chronic illnesses, thanks to its advanced scientific equipment.