@Alicewangechi
The Murang’a government has built a new Level 4 hospital to boost health services in the lower parts of the county.
The new facility will host an eye and dental hospital that has been operating in Kenol town since 2015 when it was started by former Governor Mwangi wa Iria.
Named after veteran politician Kenneth Matiba, the hospital that has been using in a rental building in Kenol, offering subsidised specialised optical and dental services to residents.
But Governor Irungu Kang’ata said the hospital has been accruing a monthly rent of Sh1.2 million, an expense he said was too huge for the county administration to continue bearing.
This motivated his administration to relocate the facility to Makenji area on the 1,500 acres ceded to the county by Del Monte fruits processing company.
While commissioning the new facility, Kang’ata said its location along the busy Kenol-Thika highway will make it one of the busiest and best facilities in the region.
His plan is to continue expanding the facility in phases on the 60 acres it has been allocated in a master plan approved by the county assembly.
“For now, this facility will continue offering eye and dental services but will have a small outpatient department for other services. In future, we will bring in more doctors and equipment to offer other specialised services when we get funds,” he said.
The governor is liaising with the Kenya National Highways Authority to erect an overpass near the hospital for patients to cross the highway and avoid accidents.
Improving healthcare was part of his manifesto while he sought votes and he has made efforts to upgrade numerous health facilities across the county.
Further, the county administration is in the process of installing solar panels in 73 health facilities in a bid to cut power bills and stem power outages.
The Kang’ata Care programme has over 40,000 households accessing free healthcare, making health services accessible to vulnerable residents. The programme has helped reduce medical fund raising.
Governor Kang'ata has received countrywide admiration for managing to double the county revenue to Sh1.1 billion without increasing taxes after automating revenue collection systems.
"Automation allows traders to pay levies from the comfort of their businesses while sealing loopholes previous used to siphon revenue," he said.
Residents hailed the governor for building the new facility, saying patients from the surrounding areas that include Kabati and Makenji have for a long time been forced to travel to Thika town in Kiambu county to seek health services.
Over 5,000 residents showed up during the commissioning of the hospital to receive free dental and optical services that were being offered.