The King Fahad Lamu County Referral Hospital / BRIAN OTIENO
The King Fahad Lamu County Referral Hospital / BRIAN OTIENO
A Lamu hospital has earned national recognition after being showcased as an example of the future of telemedicine, placing the county at the centre of Kenya’s emerging digital healthcare transformation.
King Fahd Lamu County Referral Hospital was one of two health facilities, alongside Nairobi’s Riruta Health Centre, showcased during the Presidential Health Summit and town hall on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The selection was a significant milestone for Lamu, highlighting how modern medical infrastructure, diagnostic technology and digital health can help overcome geographical barriers and bring specialised healthcare closer to communities.
During the national event, a live telemedicine link connected the summit in Nairobi with King Fahd Referral Hospital in Lamu, providing a real-time demonstration of the facility’s digital and specialist medical capabilities.
President William Ruto, through the live connection, engaged with Lamu Deputy Governor and Health executivr Mbarak Bahjaj.
Governor Issa Timamy said the engagement demonstrated the potential of technology to transform healthcare delivery and extend specialist medical expertise to communities beyond major urban centres.
“Through real-time digital connectivity, healthcare professionals at King Fahd Referral Hospital can engage specialist networks beyond the county, exchange clinical information and obtain expert consultations without automatically requiring patients to travel hundreds of kilometres,” Timamy said.
Lamu comprises islands, remote mainland settlements and communities along the Kenya-Somalia border.
Long distances, poor road infrastructure in some areas and occasional security disturbances have created barriers to accessing specialised healthcare.
Patients requiring advanced consultations have often had to travel to Mombasa or Nairobi, incurring significant financial and logistical costs.
Telemedicine could help change that.
“This is not just about introducing new technology. It is about ensuring that the people of Lamu can access specialised healthcare regardless of where they live,” Bahjaj said.
“Telemedicine gives our healthcare professionals access to specialist expertise in real time while strengthening our own capacity to manage patients locally.”
Timamy said his administration was committed to improving healthcare services and using technology to position Lamu as a leader in digital medical care.
He said the milestone would provide a foundation for further investment in specialist services, digital infrastructure, equipment and healthcare professionals.
“Our vision is to position Lamu as a digital hub for medical care, where technology connects our doctors and patients to specialist expertise wherever it is available. We will continue investing in the systems, infrastructure and human capacity required to make that vision a reality,” the governor said.
He said technological investment must ultimately translate into better patient experiences, faster diagnosis, stronger specialist services and fewer unnecessary referrals outside the county.
The referral hospital has progressively expanded its diagnostic, surgical and specialist capabilities, enabling medical interventions that previously required referrals outside the county.
Timamy said similar investments were being made in other health facilities, including expanded infrastructure, diagnostic capacity and specialist services.
Lamu County Director for Disaster Risk Management and Peace Building Shee Kupi said telemedicine should form part of a wider culture of learning and innovation across the county government.
“Innovation should not be confined to one department. Our responsibility as a county is to identify what works, document it, share the knowledge and create an environment where successful innovations can be adapted and scaled across sectors,” Kupi said.
He said the county was encouraging innovation in health, disaster management, peace building, agriculture, water, education and other areas of service delivery.
Timamy said Lamu would continue exploring opportunities to extend digital health connectivity and specialist support to other facilities across the islands, mainland and border communities.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
For a county where islands, remote settlements, long distances and security concerns can complicate referrals, telemedicine offers a practical way of connecting local health workers with specialist expertise without always moving patients to Nairobi or Mombasa. The initiative also signals a shift from simply expanding physical facilities towards strengthening digital capacity. Its success, however, will depend on reliable connectivity, equipment, skilled personnel and sustained investment to ensure the technology translates into better diagnosis, treatment and patient outcomes.
