The Nyamira Level Five hospital is undergoing major difficulties to host a number of patients given its little capacity, area residents have complained.
Speaking on Sunday outside the hospital’s premises, the residents led, by Mr Wycliffe Magangi, challenged the county government of Nyamira to build a new wing that will accommodate more patients in a bid to improve the efficiency of the hospital.
He said many patients were struggling to get admitted with some of them opting to go to expensive private hospitals for the sake of saving their lives.
“It’s been difficult here and we all know that. The hospital can only allow admission of 33 patients yet the number received is quite big. The county government should consider expanding the facility for the sake of helping poor people who are forced to move to private hospitals,” he said.
However, county chief health officer Douglas Bosire said the county government had set aside resources to expand the facility and the construction was due to start because of tendering processes that ought to be followed.
“We understand the shortage of bed capacity but the county government had set Sh30 million that is meant to expand the hospital to at least (a capacity of) 50. The issue of tendering ought to be followed and that is why we are experiencing the slow progress,” he said.