Residents of Gituja village in Muthambi Sub County have a reason to smile following the official launch of Gituja Dispensary by Tharaka Nithi County government meant to bring health services closer to the people.
The facility which informally begun its operations in December has so far served over 650 locals and was expected to increase the number now that it is officially functioning.
The dispensary will help to ease the high number of patients at Chuka General Hospital among other health facilities in the area.
Addressing a group of residents while officially commissioning the facility, Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki said that the hospital would provide relief in other hospitals in the county as it was adequately equipped with well trained personnel.
The governor revealed that the facility has boosted employment in the area as nurses, doctors and guards were locally sourced.
“The society has greatly benefited from this project. We gave construction contracts to locals and recruited trained nurses, doctors and guards from here creating employment,” he said.
Njuki noted that the facility has boosted different sectors of the economy as farmers didn’t have to waste time travelling long distances to look for medication adding that they were ensuring no local would walk more than five kilometers seeking health services.
He disclosed that the facility would soon be leveled up to a health center while Muthambi health center would be elevated to a level four hospital.
The governor urged residents to seek medical care from the facility as it was well equipped with professional doctors.
“We have doctors here who are conversant with the local ailments so you don’t have to go very far seeking for medical attention,” he assured the residents.
He noted that the health sector in the county was doing well with a total of 105 healthcare facilities in the region.
With family planning being one of the dispensary’s departments, the governor encouraged parents to seek the services to have better management of child birth.
He appreciated the residents’ eagerness to have a dispensary and secluding a piece of land for the facility which motivated the county government to actualize the project.
“This dispensary is your money and it belongs to you. And it was our obligation to see to it that the hospital is completed,” he added.
He assured the residents that they were working on the electricity connection of the facility immediately.
Some of the departments in the dispensary include the antenatal clinic, the child welfare clinic and family planning unit.
By Steve Ireri
