Kirinyaga County is set to revolutionize the emergency care system with the construction of a post-crash trauma centre at Sagana Subcounty Hospital.
The new facility under construction will provide rapid, life-saving treatment to accident victims mainly along the Kenol-Marua, Sagana-Kagio-Kutus and Makutano-Embu highways.
The project that is expected to be complete by the end of the current financial year is a transformative approach to emergency medical care and will improve the survival rate of trauma victims in the region.
Speaking while on a project assessment tour of the project, the County Executive Committee Member (CEC) for Health, George Karoki, said that due to the busy nature of our roads and many accidents that occur on our busy highways, a faster and more effective emergency response system has always been a need and that is what this facility has come to address.
He said that the two storey facility will have surgical theatres and dedicated diagnostic imaging centers equipped with cutting-edge technology, all aimed at enabling the fastest possible response to accident victims.
“This is not just another hospital, as it is designed to cater to the specific needs of crash victims, who currently get referred to other facilities for specialised care,” said Karoki, noting that its strategic location along the busy Kenol-Sagana-Marua dual carriage will enable it to respond to accidents and medical emergencies, providing immediate care and cutting time between the accident and medical intervention that can be the difference between life and death.
He noted that the hospital will also have the required human resources for health in order to offer comprehensive care to the patients, hailing the good working relationship between the executive, the assembly and the community in enabling the realisation of development projects in the county.
Governor Anne Waiguru has said that the trauma centre, which has been realised through collaboration between the National and the County Government, is part of the County Government’s elaborate programme of improving healthcare service delivery to all the county residents.
The county government has also been enhancing primary healthcare through the construction and operationalisation of dispensaries across the county, with 13 new ones having been opened and 7 others lined up for opening.
Kariti Member of County Assembly (MCA), Jeremia Makimi, said that the hospital is very strategic in catering for accident victims, especially along the Kenol-Marua highway, which he said had claimed the lives of many in the last two years.
He noted that though the dualing of the highway is expected to reduce the number of accidents, many accidents are still reported, especially those involving motorcyclists.
“Many accident victims are given first Aid at the hospital but in case they require specialised treatment, they have to be referred to Kerugoya Hospital or Nyeri, which causes delayed lifesaving care,” said the MCA.
Local residents and leaders have welcomed the trauma centre, saying in the past they have witnessed the loss of many lives as a result of accidents along the busy highways, especially those involving motorcyclists.
Francis Maina, a fruit vendor in Sagana Town, said that the area witnesses many accidents, with many of them claiming lives; thus, the emergency centre is highly anticipated as a relief to that challenge.
His sentiments were echoed by Josphat Kibia, a pastor at Born Again Church in Sagana, who said the trauma centre will greatly relieve the area residents who have been victims of accidents, especially at blackspots such as Kibirigwi and Kiangwaci, many of whom risk losing their lives as they are being transported for medical care in Kerugoya or Nyeri.
By Mutai Kipngetich
