Gov. Waititu promises some medical revolution in Kiambu.

Governor Ferdinand Waititu has flagged off five ambulances worth Ksh. 49 million to various hospitals within the county.

Two of the ambulances will be handed to AIC Kijabe Hospital and Nazareth Hospital who have signed an MOU with the devolved government to provide medical services to the residents.

“We have signed an MOU with the two hospitals and we intend to extend the same to PCEA Kikuyu Hospital on Monday so that we can provide our people with adequate and quality health services across the county,” said Waititu.

While speaking at Thika Level 5 hospital after a tour of the new Reproductive Health Unit that is scheduled to be complete by December this year, added that his government plans to set up similar projects in Kiambu and Githunguri sub-counties so as to benefit those areas that have been experiencing challenges in the provision of health services.

He said that they will also revive the stalled hospital projects in Wangige, Thogoto, Lari, Tigoni and Kikuyu that were started by the previous regime.

“The contractors have assured us that these facilities will be complete within the next one year,” he said.

The governor warned medics against diverting any medicine procured by this government to their private clinics adding that each health facility shall be required to account for all the drugs they receive.

“These drugs will be supplied to all the health centres starting with Kiambu, Gatundu and Thika Level Five hospitals. My government shall conduct random audit to all health centres in the county with a view to contain the rampant drug theft within our health facilities. Anyone found culpable will be sacked and prosecuted,” warned the governor.

Earlier this week, the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KeMSA) supplied a medical consignment worth Ksh. 62 million to be distributed to all the 115 hospitals and dispensaries in Kiambu County drugs after the Kiambu government paid a Ksh. 40 million debt accrued under the previous administration.

Meanwhile, Kiambu District Hospital and Gatundu Level Four Hospital have been upgrade to level 5 status bringing to three the number of level 5 hospitals in the county.

To this effect, Gov. Waititu promised to an ambulance each for the two facilities and ensure that the two hospitals were well equipped and adequately staffed to match their new status.

“This is good news to the people of Kiambu for it means that each of the three level 5 hospitals will receive a sh. 400m medical grant from the national government which will be used to improve on medical infrastructure and housing,” said the governor.

Thika Level Five Hospital (TL5) has been the only facility in that status in Kiambu.

The governor said that in the very near future, the county government will embark on another major project at TL5 to build about 200 housing units for the nurses and doctors working in the facility.

Waititu also stated that his government’s intent to pay for NHIF cover for selected families at different sub-counties before the end of his first year in office. This, he said, was in line with his vision to provide accessible, quality and affordable healthcare to all the residents.

“In our 2017-18 budget, we have set aside money to pay NHIF cover for 24,000 families across the county at sh. 1,000 per family so as to relieve our health facilities from the burden of default payment of bills. This will see about 2,000 families per constituency benefit every year,” he said.