Makueni County Government through the Department of Health will spend Sh3 million to rehabilitate the former Makueni Law Court building and convert it into a Level 3 Hospital to ease pressure on Makueni County Referral Hospital.
The contractor was handed over the site on Tuesday and is expected to complete the renovation works in the next four weeks so that the people from adjacent areas can access healthcare services which they currently travel far in search of medical attention.
Initially, the building had served as the first hospital in Wote before being converted into law courts, but it will now be repurposed to strengthen primary healthcare services within the town. The health facility will be known as Unoa.
The conversion comes at a time when there have been challenges faced by patients accessing treatment under Social Health Authority (SHA) that required them to obtain referrals from a lower health facility before seeking referral at the Makueni County Referral Hospital.
Speaking during the site handover to the contractor, Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr urged the contractor to ensure he employs local residents so that they earn a living through the construction period.
Mutula directed the Wote Water Company to ensure there was reliable water supply to the health facility to enable provision of services and operations to run for 24-hours once it is completed.
“I ask the contractor to employ the youths from here to benefit from this project. There should be reliable water to the health facility once it is completed,” said Mutula while handing over the site in Wote town, in Makueni Subcounty to the contractor on Tuesday.
At the same time, he instructed the Department of Health Services to gradually expand the facility’s capacity to offer a wider range of services, including maternity and gynecological care.
The governor further revealed that the facility will soon be gazetted and fully equipped to provide quality healthcare services to residents of Wote town and surrounding areas.
County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health Services Joyce Mutua thanked the governor for availing funds to renovate the building while saying that the facility will be equipped by next financial year saying staff to provide services have been identified.
The project handover ceremony was attended by Wote/Nziu MCA Felix Mateso and Chief Officer for Health Administration and Human Resource, Harvey Mulei among others.
By Patrick Nyakundi
