The Nakuru Level Five Hospital received a dialysis machine worth Sh4 million on Thursday.
Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui said the machine will help offer services to patients in the hospital.
Speaking during the commissioning of the dialysis machine donated by Safaricom Foundation, Kinyanjui said the hospital will witness changes that will see medical students given training.
Reports show the hospital has shortage of medical staff in key departments.
Kinyanjui said refurbishment will commence to change face of the hospital and streamline service delivery.
“We want to ensure that the facility accommodates more patients, work ismade easier for staff as the facility is converted from a general hospital to a teaching and referral facility,” said MrKinyanjui.
The governor too noted that oncologicalservices will be available at the hospital in a period of one month.
"Our aim is to reduce movement by cancer patients to far away hospitals,”said the governor.
The county boss promised that the county government will be partnering with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) with aim of achieving a 70 percent registration of members in the county by June.
He noted that more than 200 nurses have been hired to boost services in all hospitals in the county and are now being deployed.
“When the health workers are overworked, the quality of services is compromised and we want to ensure that shortage of staff will not hinder delivery,”he said.
Safaricom Regional Head of Department Sales and Operations, James Maitai said the decision to donate the dialysis machine was necessitated by need for services considering the hospital serves patients countrywide.
The hospital’s Medical SuperintendentJoseph Mburu said the renal unit has 16 functional dialysis machine which are not enough to provide services for the patients currently seeking the services.
"We currently have more than 100 patients under the programme, some as young as five and an increase in numberof the machines will reduce the waiting time,” said Dr Mburu.
The unit attends at most 30 patients every day.