Mombasa County Assembly Speaker Aharub Khatri has called on Governor Abdullswamad Sheriff Nassir to establish a Level 5 hospital with Intensive Care Unit (ICU) services in Likoni to ease access to critical healthcare services.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Bofu Level 2 Hospital in Likoni, Khatri said residents continue to face challenges due to the lack of an advanced medical facility in the area.
“Likoni residents struggle to access quality healthcare because there is no Level 5 hospital here. In some cases, patients have died while crossing the ferry to seek ICU services available only on the island,” said Speaker Khatri.
He urged the governor to consider upgrading existing Level 4 hospitals in Likoni to Level 5 status by equipping them with ICU services, noting that this would also reduce the financial burden on families.
“Sometimes when I visit Coast General Hospital, I find patients’ relatives from Likoni sleeping outside because they cannot afford the fare home and are not allowed to stay in the wards,” he said.
Khatri also expressed concern over the high cost of healthcare, urging the county to find a sustainable solution to reduce hospital bills.
“For years, we’ve seen people overwhelmed by medical bills. While the Social Health Authority (SHA) offers some help, it does not cover everything. We need a solution to make healthcare more affordable,” he said.
He further proposed the introduction of a special waiver for deceased patients, especially to support families from religious backgrounds that require quick burial.
“When someone dies, nothing more can be done. Let us develop a law that provides an automatic 30 to 50 percent waiver for Mombasa residents to ease the burden. People should not have to turn to politicians for help to bury their loved ones,” said Khatri.
Despite the concerns, the Speaker welcomed the construction of the Bofu Level 2 Hospital and urged the county government to allocate sufficient budget to upgrade it to a Level 4 facility in the near future.
