Relief for Njukiini residents as Waiguru opens Kiaumbui dispensary

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has opened another new dispensary which is expected to boost the provision of primary healthcare in rural areas.

Kiaumbui Dispensary now brings relief to Njukiini ward residents who will now enjoy affordable healthcare without having to travel long distances.

It will serve about 4,300 residents who previously had to seek health services from as far as 10 kilometres away in facilities such as Difathas and Murinduko health centres or from hospitals in the neighbouring Embu County.

The main beneficiaries of the new dispensary include residents of Mwambao, Kathoge, Kiambui, Mbiri and Piai villages.

Kiambui becomes the seventh health facility to start offering services out of the 20 dispensaries whose completion Governor Waiguru’s administration has been undertaking.

Great milestone

While presiding over the dispensary’s opening ceremony, Ms Waiguru said that its completion marks a great milestone in her quest for improved primary healthcare provision in the county.

“We have been simultaneously undertaking the completion and equipping of around 20 dispensary projects and we have lined them up for launch by August,” she said.

She noted that when residents have a health facility close to them, they will save time and money, which will in turn allow them to attend to other socio-economic activities.

She noted that at the dispensaries, residents will access outpatient, anti-natal and post-natal, mother and child health care, pharmacy and laboratory services, among others.

“They will also get early diagnosis of ailments that may require further investigation and treatment for which they can then be referred to advanced facilities in a timely manner,” she said.

Reduce congestion in hospitals

She observed that with good primary healthcare at the dispensaries, there will be less congestion at higher level health facilities, thus giving them the chance to effectively deal with more complex health matters.

She added that towards the achievement of universal health coverage, her administration has invested heavily in infrastructural development of various hospitals.

She cited her flagship, Kerugoya Level Five Hospital Complex, which will soon open its doors to residents. The complex has a 342-bed capacity inpatient wing, an ICU, a HDU and an oncology ward. Other amenities include emergency and casualty department, a maternity wing, a cancer unit, modern surgical theatres, paediatric, surgical and medical wards and a palliative care unit and a pharmacy.

It also has an oxygen plant from which oxygen will piped to all the beds in the wards.

The Kirinyaga County government is also upgrading Kianyaga and Kimbimbi hospitals from level 3 to level 4 status.