Amudat Residents To Benefit As DNDi Commissions A Laboratory At Amudat Hospital

By Benson Aswani,

For many years, the residents of Amudat District on the borders of West Pokot county and the neighboring Uganda, have been enduring high costs in seeking services regarding Kala Azar disease due to lack of related facilities.

But this is now a myth as they are set to benefit from the laboratory commissioned by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) in the Amudat hospital.

Speaking on Wednesday after commissioning the laboratory, the DNDi director general Prof. Samwel Kariuki, said that the facility is set to improve the diagnosis of diseases not just for Kala Azar but all common diseases in the area.

“The commissioning of this hospital seeks to improve the detection of diseases, not just the major disease that we are dealing with here which is Kala Azar, but also other diseases that are common in this area,” said Mr Kariuki.

Mr. Kariuki said the facility will be critical in bringing services closer to citizens in a bid to curb Kala Azar and other related diseases.

On his side, the Amudat Hospital medical Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sagach, said that the commissioning of the laboratory is a milestone in curbing tropical diseases that have been a nuisance to the residents of Amudat District.

“This laboratory is a great achievement in our efforts to curb tropical diseases in this area,” said Mr. Sagach.

The medical laboratory technologist at Amudat Hospital Brenda Adiko, said that the new technology laboratory is an asset that will improve the working conditions and services offered to patients at the hospital.

“We have been having a hard time detecting diseases due to the shortage of resources. Commissioning of this laboratory is a great boost to this hospital,” she said.