Joy for Kirinyaga residents as Governor opens new dispensaries

It was a joyful day for Kirinyaga County residents as Governor Anne Waiguru on Wednesday opened two of the stalled dispensaries that the county government has been completing. The governor officially opened Kianjiru and Kiamwathi dispensaries in Gichugu constituency for operations. The two are among the 19 dispensaries that Waiguru’s administration has completed and lined up for opening. The facilities were left incomplete by the previous regime.

Speaking at Kianjiru dispensary, governor Waiguru said that the opening of the dispensaries was a great milestone in her administration’s quest to enhance the provision of primary healthcare for the county residents. “By completing the stalled dispensaries we aim at enhancing access to healthcare and save our people from traveling long distances in search of healthcare services which in turn saves them money and time to attend to other socio economic activities”, Waiguru said.

Beneficiaries of Kianjiru dispensary have been seeking services at Kianyaga and Kimbimbi Health Centers while those in Kiamwathi previously traveled to Kianyaga and Karumandi Health Centers for medical services. The governor noted that at the dispensaries, residents will access outpatient services, TB services, anti-natal and post-natal services, childcare services, pharmacy and laboratory services among others. They will also get early detection of ailments that may require further investigation and treatment for which they can be referred to advanced facilities in a timely manner.

Each of the dispensaries will serve over 3,000 beneficiaries and has the capacity to serve at least 100 patients daily. Governor Waiguru noted that with good primary healthcare at the dispensaries, there will be reduction in congestion at other hospitals which will in turn be left to effectively handle more complex health matters. She added that the new dispensaries have been included among the county’s Covid-19 Vaccination Centers, observing that the county has so far administered 143,764 doses of Covid-19 vaccines. She appealed to those yet to be vaccinated to do so.

Towards the achievement of universal health coverage, Waiguru said that her administration has invested heavily in infrastructural development of various health facilities. “Our flagship project is the upcoming Kerugoya Level Five Hospital complex which will offer the specialized that our residents have previously been referred to hospitals outside the county”, said the governor, noting that the upgrading of Kianyaga and Kimbimbi Hospitals from Level 3 to Level 4 is ongoing.