Governor Abdulswamad Nassir announced that the Babacare free‑healthcare programme, originally set for October only, will now run through November after 88,956 patients accessed services in the first 19 days.

The extension is intended to allow more residents to receive treatment without paying hospital bills, responding to the high demand recorded at public hospitals.

Public hospitals are instructed to ask every patient whether they are registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA); those not registered will be assisted to enrol, and the county will cover contributions for patients who cannot afford them.

To prevent refusals or charges for services covered by Babacare, the governor directed hospitals not to turn patients away and set up a reporting hotline (1599) for complaints of illegal payments.

The county has invested in additional medical equipment, including laboratory, X‑ray and CT‑scan machines, and recruited extra doctors and nurses to strengthen capacity at public hospitals.

Essential drug supplies have been bolstered through cooperation with the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority and other vendors, aiming to keep patients from being referred elsewhere for treatment.

The Babacare extension is part of a broader county effort that also includes free pre‑primary education and school‑feeding schemes to reduce household costs for essential services.

County officials expect the November extension to enable additional residents to benefit while ongoing improvements to staffing, equipment and medicine availability continue.