The Kiambu County Government is now set to handle Covid-19 after setting up over 1,000 isolation beds, and having adequate medical personnel to take care of the patients, Governor James Nyoro has said.
Nyoro said there was a time when the county government was worried that the increasing Covid-19 cases would overstretch available health facilities.
Governor Nyoro said a few weeks ago, the County’s Covid-19 numbers were hitting close to 100 each day and the County’s Covid-19 Isolation Centre in Tigoni Level Four Hospital in Limuru was getting filled fast.
At the time, the hospital had 130 admissions, against a 200-bed capacity.
“A few months ago, we were worried that we would be overstretched due to increasing Covid-19 numbers. Each day we were registering about 100 cases and the County was fast becoming a hotspot. At one time, our Covid-19 Isolation Centre in Tigoni had 130 patients against 200 beds.
When other Counties were busy struggling to procure ventilators, we only installed bulk oxygen and connected it to patients’ beds and it worked magic and slowly most of our patients recovered,” said Nyoro.
By Wednesday, the facility had 13 Covid-19 patients, as others had recovered and discharged.
The Governor was speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony of a Sh.63 million Covid-19 isolation hospital in Ruiru Sub County.
The 150-bed capacity facility to be constructed at the Ruiru Level Four Hospital will be completed in a month’s time and will cater for the many Covid-19 cases that are being reported in the populous Sub County. To date, the Sub County has in excess of 350 Covid-19 patients, the highest in the County.
He said the local business community will help in putting up a six-storey tower hospital to cater for patients post Covid-19 period.
The Governor at the same time, announced plans to partner with Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital (KUTRH) that will see the hospital and the Health Ministry take over the management of the Gatundu Level Five Hospital and convert it to a level six facility and an annex of KUTRH.
He said a memorandum of understanding to that effect will be signed soon, saying the County stood to benefit from KUTRH’s expertise in areas of personnel and research.
“This doesn’t mean that we shall lose the Gatundu Level Five Hospital. However, we shall only partner and collaborate, otherwise residents stand to benefit if it is run by experts. Again, we shall then convert Igegania hospital to a Level Five facility,” said the Governor.
By Muoki Charles
