The Murang’a County Government has recalled health workers on leave and opened new wards following a sharp rise in patient numbers at the Level 5 Hospital.
According to county health officials, the hospital is currently attending to between 1,500 and 2,000 outpatients daily.
Further, all 500 beds in the inpatient department are occupied, matching the facility’s full capacity.
The surge, the county said, has been partly driven by an influx of patients from neighbouring areas seeking specialised services after the recent expansion of the hospital’s infrastructure.
To manage the increased demand and maintain quality healthcare delivery, the county has taken several urgent measures.
These include reorganising emergency staff at the casualty department, recalling staff currently on leave, and deploying marshals to guide patients to various service points.
Additional interventions include opening new wards, strengthening 24-hour laboratory and radiology operations, and establishing linkages with Level 4 hospitals in the county to ease pressure on the referral facility.
“The county remains committed to providing quality services to every client,” said a statement from the Department of Health, adding that a recruitment drive is planned but may be limited due to the county’s constrained wage bill.
Murang’a also urged the County Assembly to fast-track the Locum Policy to allow temporary staff hiring during such emergencies.
Residents have been advised to consider nearby facilities, including Muriranjas Hospital, Mugoiri, New Mukuyu, and Kiangage dispensaries in Township Ward, Kiharu Constituency, which now have additional doctors and expanded services.
Meanwhile, the county has appealed for patience and cooperation from clients to help health workers deliver effective care.
Patients facing challenges have been urged to contact the hospital through 0716 017296 or 0702 652751 for assistance.
The statement underscored the county’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery.
In July 2025, the county formally commissioned a new Mother and Child Unit at Murang’a Level 5 Hospital.
The construction increased the hospital’s inpatient bed capacity from 285 to over 400.
The new wing also includes features such as a modern casualty department for both adults and children, specialist outpatient clinics, a fully equipped laboratory, a pharmacy, radiology services, and two operating theatres.
These are intended to reduce congestion and improve access to surgical and emergency care.
Further, the hospital has recently added a 128-slice GE CT scan machine to improve diagnostics.
The older machine had frequent breakdowns, forcing patients to go outside the county for imaging services.
This upgrade is expected to reduce delays and extra costs for patients needing advanced imaging.
The hospital boasts a 35-bed ICU facility, built and opened during the tenure of the previous governor.
The unit serves emergently critical cases and provides services at no cost to the patients.
The County Government has deployed doctors to Level 4 hospitals (Muriranjas and Kigumo) with the aim of shifting some of the patient load away from the Level 5 facility.
New inpatient and ward expansions are also underway at Level 4 facilities, and a new theatre block is being built at Murang’a Level 5 to ease pressure on the existing theatre services.
