Men in the larger Nyambene region are set to benefit from improved healthcare services following the official opening of the first-ever male ward at Nyambene level 4 hospital.
This is a major milestone expected to ease pressure on families who have for years been forced to seek admission services at Meru Level 5 Hospital.
The newly opened 60-bed ward, constructed at a cost of Sh16 million, is expected to serve residents from 5 constituencies in the larger Nyambene region in what local leaders and residents described as a long-overdue intervention in a health system where men have often been sidelined.
Speaking during the commissioning of the ward on Tuesday, Governor Isaac Mutuma said the project marks the end of years of suffering for men in Igembe and surrounding areas, many of whom have been forced to travel long distances in search of inpatient care.
The Governor said the absence of a dedicated male ward at the facility had led to unnecessary referrals, delayed treatment and avoidable suffering for patients and their families.
Mutuma noted that many men have been lost while being transferred to Meru Level 5 Hospital, leaving behind widows and orphans in cases where lives could have been saved if admission and treatment services had been available closer home.
Governor Mutuma also shared a personal experience, saying even his own father once failed to secure admission for oxygen support because of a lack of beds, a reality he said reflects the urgent need for expansion of health infrastructure in the region.
He announced that the County Government has already set aside Sh50 million for further expansion of the hospital, including the construction of additional wards as part of plans to upgrade Nyambene level 4 hospital into a level 5 facility.
He said the planned expansion will also include several laboratories and a CT scan, which are expected to strengthen diagnosis and specialised treatment services for the wider Nyambene population.
The Medical Officer of Health at Nyambene level 4 hospital, Dr Wachira Githu, said the new ward will significantly improve service delivery by ensuring men are fully included in access to healthcare.
Dr Githu said diseases do not discriminate and expressed optimism that the new facility will help bridge a long-standing gap in healthcare access for male patients.
He noted that the ward is the first of its kind in Igembe, describing it as a major achievement in the push for equitable healthcare services in the region.
Residents and local leaders who attended the event welcomed the project, saying it will save lives, cut transport costs and reduce the burden on caregivers who have been forced to travel to Meru town to visit admitted patients.
Ms Grace Kambura, a resident of Maua, said the hospital has in the past lost male patients during referrals to Meru Level 5 and expressed hope that the ward will now enable more patients to receive timely care closer to home.
The commissioning of the ward is expected to mark a major turning point in healthcare delivery across the larger Nyambene region, with residents now looking forward to the planned expansion of the hospital into a fully-fledged Level 5 facility.
By Kamanja Maeria
