Keep politics out of healthcare services – Kirinyaga residents to politicians

Residents of the Kimbimbi area in Kirinyaga County have asked politicians to keep politics out of healthcare services.

The residents accused a section of politicians of trying to use healthcare issues as a 2027 campaign tool.

Grace Nderitu, who came to seek services at Kimbimbi hospital, said that the services at the facility have been superb and of benefit to the area residents.

She cited adequate supplies, cleanliness and dedicated staff as reasons why the facility was ideal.

Her sentiments were echoed by another resident, Joseph Mwangi, who dismissed what they termed as politically instigated lies about Kimbimbi Hospital.

“We are asking people to keep politics out of the healthcare sector, I have been coming to this hospital since I was young. The hospital has served us well. I came here for treatment and I have received all the medication I needed,” said Nderitu.

During an inspection tour at the Kimbimbi hospital, County Chief Officer for health services Dr. Muriithi Nyaga affirmed that the hospital has been offering the expected services to the patients.

He said that the hospital's pharmacy is well equipped and the facility clean despite the old structures which he said will now be addressed by the new complex.

He said that the hospital has not only been serving people from Kirinyaga but also those coming from neighbouring counties such as Embu and Murang’a which can be attributed to the quality of care that the facility offers.

Muriithi said the County is set to achieve a major healthcare milestone as the construction of a state-of-the-art medical complex at Kimbimbi Hospital nears completion.

“Kimbimbi Hospital upgrading is a testament to Governor Anne Waiguru’s commitment to tackling the healthcare challenges in the county. Over the years she has ensured that despite the hospital having aged infrastructure, the facility is well-maintained and equipped to offer life-saving services," he said.

"The groundbreaking healthcare project is set to revolutionize the local healthcare system with the promise not only to improve healthcare access but also bring cutting-edge medical care to Mwea residents and county at large.”

The three-storey complex which is at 80% completion and expected to be opened by mid-year will lead to the upgrading of Kimbimbi from a level 3 to a level 4 hospital that will be offering high-quality services thereby reducing the number of referrals made to other facilities such as Kerugoya County and Referral Hospital.

With a 120-bed capacity, the hospital hosts female and male medical and surgical wards, prenatal and postnatal maternity, a delivery room, kangaroo mother care, a gynaecological ward, a newborn unit, and pediatric medical and surgical wards.

The bed capacity will add to the existing capacity of 120 beds in the old hospital.

The complex also has an outpatient department expected to serve about 300 patients daily, an accident and emergency department, general and maternity surgical theatres, Radiology room, an X-ray room, a pharmacy and a laboratory.

It also has doctors on-call house, office and boardroom all meant to enhance seamless delivery of services.

Governor Anne Waiguru has promised that the hospital will be equipped with modern equipment and amenities that will enable it to offer the highest standards of medical care.

The project is part of the county government’s elaborate plan of improving healthcare infrastructure for improved service delivery and follows the upgrading of Kerugoya County and Referral Hospital from a level 4 to a level 5 facility that has since been offering some of the best healthcare services in the region.

Recently Waiguru installed the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) system at the hospital to enhance healthcare services in the county.

The system that was integrated with the hospital’s X-ray equipment was aimed at enhancing diagnostic services with a focus on enhancing chest findings thus enabling the detection of conditions such as tuberculosis (TB), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cancer and another one that is designed to identify musculoskeletal defects and fractures.

Waiguru then underscored her administration’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology in order to improve diagnostic accuracy, enhance patient care and ultimately save lives with AI technology being an end-to-end platform for TB screening, program and case management.

Kimbimbi Hospital also recorded another fist in the county when doctors performed the first minimally invasive surgery- laparoscopic cholecystectomy- on a patient who suffered from cholecystitis.

During the recent State of the County Address, Waiguru reiterated her commitment towards the realization of the ‘Wellness City’ dream of Kirinyaga County as envisioned in the county’s ‘Mountain Cities Blueprint 2032’.

The county’s healthcare improvement program has also seen the ongoing upgrading of Kianyaga and Sagana hospitals from level 3 to level 4 as well as the completion and operationalization of 20 dispensaries across the county.