President William Ruto on Tuesday inaugurated the largest medical complex in Kirinyaga County, thereby upgrading Kerugoya County Referral Hospital from a Level 4 to a Level 5 health facility.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru said the fully funded hospital project by the County Government is a significant step towards fulfilling the County's development blueprint, known as "The Mountain Cities 2032."
This blueprint designates Kirinyaga Central constituency as the Wellness City.
The newly upgraded hospital, with a 341-bed capacity, offers a wide range of services to cater to the healthcare needs of the community.
These services include specialized consultations in various fields such as pediatrics, ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat), oncology, dermatology, orthopedics, as well as medical and surgical outpatient clinics.
The hospital also features dedicated clinics for neuro-pediatrics, obstetrics, and gynecology. Moreover, it has a well-equipped Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with 12 beds and a High Dependency Unit (HDU) with 12 beds. Additionally, all the beds in the hospital are equipped with oxygen supply, ensuring comprehensive care for patients.
President Ruto on his part assured that the national government will work with county governments to transform healthcare in the country.
He said the national government will support the devolved units in equipping their health facilities.
Ruto added that the government, through Parliament, will establish a Facility Improvement Fund that will ensure resources allocated to medical care are not diverted to other programmes.
“The Fund will ensure our hospitals have sufficient drugs and are adequately equipped,” he said.
Th President also said the national and county governments have agreed to form the Kenya Health Human Resources Advisory Council to address disputes between the government and health workers.
“We want to ensure that we have an avenue of resolving health workers’ issues,” he said.
Ruto said the government will also equip and standardise the training of community health promoters to ensure quality healthcare at the grassroots.
He insisted that the health function will remain a devolved function, explaining that it has been well managed by the counties.
Present were Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha, Governors Ann Waiguru, Johnson Sakaja, and Muthomi Njuki, MPs Mary Maingi (Mwea), George Kariuki (Ndia), Joseph Gitari (Kirinyaga Central), among others.
