Murang’a County Government has opened a new Wards and Outpatient Complex at Murang’a Level 5 Hospital in a major expansion aimed at easing congestion, reducing waiting time and improving access to quality healthcare.

The new facility is expected to strengthen the hospital’s capacity to handle the rising number of patients while providing better conditions for both outpatient and inpatient services.

Speaking during the official opening of the complex on Friday, Governor Irungu Kang’ata stated that the expansion was necessary following a sharp increase in patient numbers, with daily outpatient attendance rising from about 600 to between 1,500 and 2,000 over the past two to three years.

He said the growing demand had placed pressure on the hospital’s existing infrastructure, prompting the county government to invest in additional facilities to improve service delivery.

Kang’ata noted that the hospital, initially designed to accommodate approximately 200 inpatients, sometimes handled up to 500 patients, resulting in congestion in the wards.

He said the new complex had added 25 beds, which would help ease pressure on the existing wards and provide patients with more dignified admission conditions.

The Governor said the county had also established additional dispensaries in areas near Murang’a town including Mukuyu, Kiangage and Muchungucha to bring healthcare services closer to residents and reduce unnecessary referrals to the Level 5 facility.

He expressed optimism that the new complex would improve patient flow, shorten queues and enable medical personnel to attend to patients more efficiently.

Kang’ata said the expansion was also part of a broader strategy to attract more insured patients, including teachers, county employees and business people, to seek treatment at the public hospital instead of private facilities.

He observed that revenue generated from insured patients would be ploughed back into the hospital to purchase medicines, medical supplies and improve healthcare infrastructure, benefiting all patients.

“We want to bring that money back here. Once we get that money, we take it back to buy more medicine and other commodities, and therefore the quality of services across the hospital goes up,” He said.

Kang’ata added that the new facility would create an opportunity for medical consultants to undertake private practice within the hospital, helping attract and retain specialists while improving access to specialized care.

The Governor further noted that having more specialists operating within the facility would also improve response time during emergencies, when delays in accessing consultants could affect patient care.

He disclosed that the project followed requests from teachers who had approached the county government seeking a dedicated space where they could access medical services, but emphasized that the facility remained open to all members of the public.

The opening of the complex is part of the county government’s wider investment in healthcare infrastructure, medical equipment and digital systems to strengthen public health facilities and respond to growing demand for medical services.

Kang’ata said the county would continue expanding and modernizing healthcare facilities to ensure residents accessed quality medical services within the public health system.

By Bernard Munyao and Ann Kendi