The Murang’a County Government has announced a series of measures and alternative healthcare options after the county’s Level 5 hospital reached full capacity following a sharp rise in patient numbers.
In a statement issued on Monday, March 23, the county attributed the surge to recent expansion of health infrastructure, which has attracted more patients to the facility in recent months.
Officials noted that both outpatient and inpatient services are now operating at their limits, with daily outpatient numbers ranging between 1,500 and 2,000 patients, while admissions have reached the hospital’s full bed capacity of 500.
Murang’a County Responds as Level 5 Hospital Faces Patient Overflow. Photo: Courtesy.
The situation has been further strained by an influx of patients from neighboring areas.
To manage the overwhelming demand, the Murang’a County Government has introduced a series of urgent interventions aimed at maintaining service delivery and improving patient care.
Measures include reorganizing emergency staff in the casualty department, recalling personnel currently on leave, deploying marshals to guide patients to various points of care, and opening additional wards to expand capacity.
These steps are designed to ensure that patients continue to receive timely and effective treatment despite the surge in numbers.
Additional measures by the Murang’a County Government include strengthening support systems across other health facilities in the county and increasing staffing where feasible.
The county has established linkages with other level 4 hospitals to help manage patient load, ensured that laboratory and radiology services operate 24 hours, and is fast-tracking staff recruitment and locum policies to address urgent needs, though recruitment is constrained by the county’s wage bill.
Residents have also been advised to seek care from nearby health facilities to help reduce congestion at the Level 5 hospital.
This includes facilities such as Muriranja’s Hospital in Mugoiri, as well as the newly upgraded Mukuyu and Kiangage dispensaries in township wards within Kiharu Constituency.
