Murang’a Level 5 Hospital is experiencing a surge in patient numbers following recent expansion of county health infrastructure.
The hospital is now handling up to 2,000 outpatients daily and has reached full bed capacity. County authorities have introduced emergency measures including staff reorganisation, opening new wards and referring patients to nearby facilities.
In a statement on Monday, the county government of Murang'a said the hospital has recorded a significant surge in patients in recent months, putting pressure on available facilities and staff.
“Following the recent expansion of Murang'a County hospitals infrastructure, the county has noted a huge surge of patient numbers in the last few months at the Level 5 facility,” the statement said.
According to the county, the hospital is currently attending to between 1,500 and 2,000 outpatients daily, while the number of admitted patients has reached 500, which is equal to the hospital’s established bed capacity.
“The hospital is attending to 1,500 to 2,000 patients daily (outpatients), while those admitted are 500, which is equal to the established bed capacity,” the county said.
The county government said the situation has been worsened by an influx of patients from outside the county who are also seeking services at the facility.
“This is compounded by the influx of patients from elsewhere,” the statement said.
Despite the pressure on the facility, the county government said it remains committed to ensuring patients receive quality healthcare services.
“The county has made commitments to offer quality services to each and every patient,” the statement added.
To address the growing demand for health services and ensure proper clinical outcomes, the county government announced several urgent measures to reduce congestion and improve service delivery at the hospital.
Among the measures announced include reorganisation of emergency staff at the casualty department and recalling staff who are currently on leave to increase manpower at the facility.
The county also said it has deployed marshals to guide patients on movement to various points of care within the hospital in order to improve patient flow and reduce congestion in service areas.
Other measures include opening new wards to increase capacity and linking with other county Level 4 hospitals to take up some patients in order to ease pressure on the Level 5 referral hospital.
The county government also announced that laboratory and radiology services will now operate 24 hours to ensure patients receive timely diagnosis and treatment.
In the longer term, the county government said it intends to recruit new health workers, although this will be limited by budget constraints.
“The county intends to recruit new staff which however will be limited due to our constrained wage bill,” the statement said.
The county government also called on the county assembly to fast-track the Locum policy to help address staffing shortages during emergencies and periods of high patient numbers.
“The county requests assembly to fasttrack Locum policy that can assuage such emergencies,” the statement added.
Residents seeking medical services have also been advised to consider visiting nearby health facilities to reduce congestion at the Level 5 hospital.
“We advise patients to consider neighbouring facilities, including Muriranja’s Hospital Mugoiri, which now has additional doctors, new Mukuyu, and Kiangage dispensaries in township wards Kiharu Constituency,” the county government said.
In the meantime, patients have been urged to cooperate with health staff and hospital management to ensure efficient service delivery and good health outcomes.
“Patients are urged to cooperate with the health staff and managers to ensure good outcomes for all,” the statement said.
The county government also provided contact numbers for patients seeking assistance or making enquiries as the hospital continues to manage the high number of patients.
Patients can reach the hospital at 0716017296 or 0702652751 for direct support, and general enquiries can be directed to 0757562988.
