Construction of a five-storey building at Kerugoya County Hospital will increase the facility's bed capacity from 250 to 500, Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri has said.
New equipment, including dialysis machines, have also been installed.
He said the facility will not only benefit residents of Kirinyaga but also those from Embu, Murang'a, Mwingi and Tharaka Nithi counties.
Ndambiri said the facility has been a relief to many families who previously had to travel to Nairobi to seek services.
“It now takes doctors less time to diagnose ailments,” he said.
Joyce Nyaguthii, 70, from Kiandegwa said the provision of dialysis services at the facility is a huge relief – financially and emotionally.
She has a kidney problem, which requires her to go for dialysis. She said she had been travelling all the way to Kenyatta National Hospital to seek treatment.
“We no longer need to make long trips in search of treatment now that the machines are here at our local hospital,” Nyaguthii said.
Ndambiri said the county is also implementing an insurance scheme known as ‘Kiri Care’, to enable residents to access health services with ease.
