NAIROBI, Kenya, May 29 – Kiambu Governor William Kabogo on Friday commissioned the construction of a 270-bed capacity Reproductive Health Unit at the Thika Level 5 hospital.
Kabogo said the construction was in line with his government’s goal of transforming Kiambu into a medical care hub.
A bureaucratic procurement process, he said, was however slowing down the realisation of that goal and he called on the County Assembly to work with the Executive in expediting the processing of tenders.
“I have just seen four children sharing one incubator. If one of them catches the flu, they all do. That is unacceptable. Even if I get accused of flouting the procurement process, I’ll deal with the consequences but this situation cannot go on,” he said.
The Reproductive Health Unit is to be equipped with the best possible technology in order to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
The county government also announced plans to triple Thika Level 5 hospital’s bed capacity within the next three years from 900 to 3,000.
Kabogo is also expected to commission the construction of four Level 4 hospitals in Lari, Kikuyu, Kabete and Tigoni in line with his vision to see Kiambu county be at the forefront of medial advancement.
During the Dr Chris Kirubi presided over opening of a maternity wing for the Ngecha Health Centre in April, Kiambu Deputy Governor Gerald Githinji said the county government had already entered into an agreement with Toledo University in the United States in order to equip its health workers with the necessary skills to provide kidney transplants.
In keeping with his health agenda, Kabogo again called on his fellow governors to support what he dubbed ‘Uhurucare’; the national government’s Sh34 billion plan to equip two hospitals per county with state of the art equipment.
“President Kenyatta is a true leader because leaders are concerned with the future generations while politicians are only concerned with the next general election,” he said on Friday.
He therefore condemned Parliament for opposing the allocation of more money to counties for Level 5 hospitals.
“If Jubilee legislators don’t want people to support Pesa Mashinani then they should act in the best interest of Kenyans,” he said.
And it was with the future generation in mind, Kabogo said, that his county government had employed digital record keeping in its healthcare facilities.
“In the last four months, our revenue collection has increased by 40 percent. This year, we have collected Sh1.7 billion in revenue compared to Sh900 million last year,” he said.
He therefore called on Kiambu residents not to be swayed by his detractors as development in the county would be his vindication.
“Let no one lie to you that we are collecting more because we are charging more. We are collecting more because we are no longer giving people who should be public servants the room to loot public coffers with impunity and erect high-rise buildings,” he defended. “There can be no gain, without pain.”
Source-capitalfm.co.ke
