Sh600m hospital plan to improve healthcare

Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu welcoming World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Mr Tedros Adhamon to Kiambu Level 5 Hospital on Thursday, Jan 11. [Photo by Kamau Maichuhie/Standard]

The Kiambu county government has announced plans for the expansion of the Kiambu Level Five Hospital.

Governor Ferdinand Waititu said his administration would in the 2018/2019 financial year set aside Sh600 million for the expansion of the facility that was recently elated to level five status.

Mr Waititu said the expansion would see the hospital double its bed capacity from the current 200 to 400.

“Expect a state-of-the-art emergency unit and renal centre,” said Waititu.

The governor, who spoke at the hospital when he hosted World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhamon yesterday, said the county would also build a college near the hospital to train medical personnel.

Waititu said the expansion was expected to enhance quality healthcare and deal with the influx of patients from neighbouring counties.

He said the influx was denying local residents quality medical services.

“Kiambu Level Five Hospital alone is receiving 700 to 100 patients daily, many from outside the county. The high number of patients means we need to expand the facility,” he said.

Medical treatment

The county government last year indicated that patients seeking medical treatment in local hospitals had increased from 800 to 1,500 daily.

It said this had stretched the facilities and workforce in hospitals.

The county’s three level five hospitals - Kiambu, Thika, and Gatundu - receive large numbers of patients from Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nakuru, Machakos, and Nairobi counties.

To deal with the influx of patients, the governor said the county would put up two level four hospitals in Githunguri and Limuru towns.

He said the county would also hire more doctors and nurses, adding that the local hospitals were understaffed.

The governor indicated that the Kiambu Level Five Hospital would hire 10 doctors and 50 nurses.

Mr Adhamon said WHO would support the national government’s plan to achieve universal healthcare in the country.

“We are ready to contribute as an organisation to enable the bold approach on health to be achieved,” he said.

Universal health

Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu, who attended the function, said the Government was committed to achieving universal health coverage in the country.

He added that the Government would also ensure that health facilities were improved to enhance provision of quality healthcare.