MPs Now Want Emergency Helicopters And Better Medical Care

MPs now want a helicopter on standby to evacuate them to a well-equipped hospital in case of an emergency following the death of MP Justus Murunga on Saturday night which was blamed on the lack of oxygen in local hospitals.

Yesterday, in the National Assembly, while eulogized the late MP, the lawmakers argued that Murunga would have survived had he received immediate and better health attention.

Kwanza MP Ferdinand Wanyonyi said the National Assembly should facilitate all MPs to have access to hotline number for a helicopter to airlift them in case of an emergency for treatment in a good hospital.

“We are requesting and I have managed to talk to the Clerk of the National Assembly about this that we should be given a hotline number to helicopter survives just in case”, he said.

He added that there should also be a well-equipped ambulance for the Members of Parliament who reside in the environs of Nairobi County.

Ferdinand Wanyonyi said that Murunga’s family spent 30 minutes to get to the nearest well-equipped facility. This means that there is an underlying problem that needs to address.

After collapsed in his house on Saturday, Murunga could not be admitted to the Matungu Sub-County Hospital because that facility lacked oxygen.

He was rushed to Matungu Sub-county Hospital in Kakamega County by his relatives where he was referred to St Mary’s Mission Hospital about 10 kilometers way but his condition deteriorated with 20 minutes that he was driven to the facility and was pronounced dead.

The MPS said the county hospital must be well-equipped so as to deal with the surging Covid-19 numbers. The National Assembly is also considering suspending indefinitely all committee meetings in hotels to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Majority leader Amos Kimunya requested that hotel meetings be suspended, indicating that all committee meetings should be restricted to parliament buildings.