DP Ruto to open Sh230m hospital in Tharaka Nithi
The newly constructed Sh230 million outpatient building at Chuka Hospital in Tharaka Nithi County.
Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki will this weekend roll out the red carpet for Deputy President William Ruto to open a new Sh230 million hospital wing.
The new outpatient facility, which will boost services in the county, was built at Chuka County Referral Hospital.
The facility will be opened by DP Ruto on Saturday.
The governor has announced support for Dr Ruto in the August 9 elections. His counterpart in the neighbouring Meru County has announced support for Azimio La Umoja presidential aspirant Raila Odinga.
Addressing the media at the hospital on Wednesday, Health executive Dr Gichuyia Nthuraku said the county has also expanded several departments and introduced new ones, enabling more patients to be served.
“With the new modern outpatient complex, patients are no longer spending hours waiting to be attended to because we have increased consultation rooms,” said Dr Nthuraku.
He said the expanded hospital was equipped with modern diagnostic equipment to handle specialised treatment in order to boost the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the county.
Dr Nthuraku said the facility hosts modern main and minor theatres, the emergency and casualty department and a paediatric section, among others.
He said the complex will also have specialists, including paediatricians, physicians, obstetricians and gynaecologists.
Purely funded by the county government
County Finance executive Dorothy Igoki disputed claims by some political leaders that construction of the complex that started in October 2017 was fully funded by the national government.
She said county money was set aside in the 2017/18 budget, and in the past four years, the project received cash from the county government.
“This building is purely funded by the county government and not the national government and records are clear,” she said.
Karingani Ward Representative Godfrey Murithi, the chairman of the county assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee, said the Health department consumes 30 percent of the county’s budget and the money has been going into improving infrastructure, buying drugs and paying health workers.
He asked leaders from the county to keep away “unhealthy” politics and join hands in developing the region.
“In the current financial budget, the health department has been allocated Sh1.6 billion, which is 30 percent of the total Sh5.6 billion,” Mr Murithi said.
He said DP Ruto has promised to upgrade the facility to a Level Five hospital if he is elected President in the August 9 polls. That designation would allow the hospital to start receiving direct funding from the national government.
“I am asking our people to vote for DP Ruto and Governor Muthomi Njuki so that this hospital can be upgraded to a Level Five facility,” he said.
