Gatundu Level 5 Hospital has received new X-ray and ultrasound machines after uproar over poor quality services blamed on lack of equipment and medicines.
Kiambu county residents had decried poor service provision at the facility, saying the lack of key equipment was forcing them to seek medical care in private hospitals or travel to far-flung areas.
Many equipment at the facility, including those in the radiology department, had been out of service. It forced residents to conduct scans and X-rays at private facilities, where the cost of treatment was usually higher.
A week ago, Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi visited Gatundu town and promised residents that his administration was working to install new medical equipment at the hospital.
Wamatangi has since delivered the new X-ray and ultrasound machines and other equipment that will go a long way in enhancing efficiency in service delivery.
Speaking after delivering the equipment, the governor said health workers should no longer send patients to private facilities for diagnostic services.
“By delivering these equipment, my aim is to ensure swift and accurate medical assessments within the facility and to reinforce our pledge to prioritise the well-being of our people. The hospital now boasts a full radiology unit, equipped with an X-ray machine, ultrasound and CT scan machines,” he said.
He further noted that the facility has been equipped with over 90 per cent of the required drugs. Patients should not be told to purchase medication at private pharmacies, he said.
“Our efforts are geared towards creating a healthcare ecosystem where Kiambu residents can rely on our facilities for comprehensive medical services, thus eliminating the need to seek assistance elsewhere,” the governor said.
The county boss further said that work was under way to complete a new hospital morgue to replace the old infamous one that was the centre of protests by residents.
He said that the delay to supply equipment to the facility was caused by a failure of the national government to release funding due to a stand-off about where the money should be channelled.
Wamatangi’s administration has been embroiled in a dispute with the national government after it allegedly failed to implement a memorandum with Kenyatta University Teaching Research and Referral Hospital, which was initially running Gatundu Level Five Hospital.
But Wamatangi noted that the memorandum entered between the Ministry of Health and his predecessor was still binding until 2025, when his government will either renew or terminate it.
The hospital's board chairman, Njinji Murigi, lauded the delivery of the equipment. Murigi said that patients will not suffer any more for lack of drugs and poor services by medics due to dysfunctional equipment.
“This is a referral hospital and we are working round the clock towards ensuring that services rendered here are top notch,” Njinji said at the handover event.
Patients who spoke to journalists narrated heart-wrenching stories of their struggles when the facility was ill equipped to offer medical care.
“We usually take my younger brother for X-ray and CT Scan services to Thika, which is costly and is draining us financially. We are elated because we will now be able to access the services here,” resident Monica Wairimu said.
They pleaded with Wamatangi to ensure other key services like the ICU unit are revived to end the agony of patients seeking such services in the area.
