X-ray services suspended at Msambweni Referral Hospital after machine breakdown

X-ray services suspended at Msambweni Referral Hospital after machine breakdown - Msambweni County Referral Hospital, Kwale County. (Photo: Courtesy)

Msambweni Referral Hospital serves patients from across Kwale and surrounding areas, making access to diagnostic equipment important for routine treatment and emergency care.

X-ray services at Msambweni County Referral Hospital in Kwale County have been suspended following a breakdown of the facility’s X-ray machine, disrupting access to the diagnostic service for patients.

The hospital management said patients requiring X-ray examinations should consult attending clinicians for guidance on alternative arrangements while technicians work to repair the machine.

The hospital has not indicated when the equipment is expected to be operational again.

The disruption affects access to a service doctors use to examine injuries and investigate conditions affecting bones, joints, the chest and other parts of the body.

X-rays are commonly used to detect fractures, identify certain lung conditions and help doctors determine the next steps in treating patients.

Patients who require the examinations may need to be referred to other facilities, depending on their medical needs and the arrangements made by their clinicians.

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The breakdown also raises questions about access to diagnostic services for patients who depend on public health facilities for medical care, particularly those who may face additional transport costs when referred elsewhere.

It serves patients from across Kwale and surrounding areas, making access to diagnostic equipment important for routine treatment and emergency care.

Without an operational X-ray machine, clinicians may have to consider alternative facilities when an examination is necessary to establish a diagnosis or guide treatment.

The hospital management said technicians were working on the equipment, but did not provide details on the cause of the breakdown or the estimated cost and duration of repairs.