Patients share beds at Nyeri County Referral Hospital

A picture taken on May 27, 2015 shows patients sharing beds in a congested ward at the Nyeri County Referral Hospital. PHOTO | BONIFACE MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The Level 5 hospital receives Sh195 million from the Treasury, which Dr Githinji said is not enough to run the facility.
  • He noted that the hospital receives referral patients from over 10 counties.

Patients admitted to the Nyeri County Referral Hospital are sharing beds while others sleep on the floor as those available are not enough.

The Nyeri County Health Executive Secretary Charles Githinji said the number of patients seeking treatment at the hospital had increased leading to the crisis.

He said funds allocated to the hospital by the national government is not enough.

Dr Githinji appealed for an increase in the budgetary allocation to the hospital.

“The criteria used to determine the funds allocated to the Level 5 should be reconsidered. We cannot receive insufficient funds just because we are a level below the Kenyatta Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral hospital,” he said

The Level 5 hospital receives Sh195 million from the Treasury, which Dr Githinji said is not enough to run the facility.

“To at least keep the hospital running, the health docket on its own takes up to 43 per cent of the county government’s funds at the expense of other dockets,” he said.

The high recurrent expenditure arises from the high cost maintenance equipment, wages to the 26 specialists at the hospital and referrals from other counties.

He noted that the hospital receives referral patients from over 10 counties.

“Patients who need specialised treatment come from Laikipia, Muranga, Isiolo and other neighbouring counties,” he said.

Dr Githinji said one of the theatres at the hospital was being renovated to handle more surgeries reduce the number of patients admitted as they wait to be operated on.