Mwea residents upbeat as upgrading of Kimbimbi Hospital starts
Workers at the Kimbimbi Level 3 Hospital in Kirinyaga County which is being upgraded to level four.
There is renewed hope for residents of Mwea in Kirinyaga as the county government starts upgrading Kimbimbi Level 3 Hospital to a level four hospital.
The building of a three-storey hospital will now enable the over 50-year-old facility to offer advanced medical services which the residents have had to seek from other facilities.
The hospital, which serves an average of 300 patients daily, caters for people from the expansive Mwea East and Mwea West sub-counties as well some residents of Mbeere in the neighbouring Embu County.
The upgrading of Kimbimbi Hospital will save residents the trouble of travelling to the county referral hospital in Kerugoya for services such as surgical procedures.
It also means that the level of services that the hospital has been offering will now be more advanced as it will be equipped with equipment and the medical personnel befitting a level four facility.
240 inpatient beds
The complex will have 240 inpatient beds, an accident and emergency area, a major theatre, male and female medical wards, male and female surgical wards and paediatric wards.
Governor Anne Waiguru has said that the expanded hospital will be equipped with modern diagnostic medical equipment to handle specialised treatment in order to boost the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for people living in Mwea Constituency and its environs.
In affirming her commitment to leave a legacy in the health sector, Ms Waiguru said she has prioritised improvement of health facilities to ensure access to affordable and quality medical services for the people of Kirinyaga.
Kimbimbi Hospital is being upgraded alongside Kianyaga Hospital, which is also poised to be elevated from level three to level four.
Accessible healthcare
Jane Wangui, a resident of Kimbimbi says the upgrading of the hospital has come to save them from spending money in private hospitals or on transport to Kerugoya Hospital to seek specialised services. She thanked the governor for prioritising provision of accessible healthcare for the residents.
Her sentiments were echoed by Beatrice Gatimu, who hails from Nyangati, and who said that they expect the new hospital to have equipment and medical personnel who will attend to their needs without costly referrals that at times delay treatment.
“At times we have even been forced to raise funds for people to go to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment,” she said.
Upgrading of the two hospitals will complement the upcoming Kerugoya Level Five Hospital complex which is hailed as one the largest medical facilities in the Mt Kenya region. The five-storey medical complex will have state-of-the art amenities such as an ICU, a HDU, a cancer centre and an oxygen plant among other facilities which are needed in order to offer specialised referral services.
At the same time, Governor Waiguru has embarked on opening 19 dispensaries which her administration has been completing.
The facilities, which had been left incomplete by the previous regime, will increase access to primary healthcare by residents.
Kianjiru and Kiamwathi dispensaries were opened two weeks ago while others which are lined up for opening include Kiaumbui and Kiandai.
