Residents of Kiganjo estate in Thika town are set to benefit from a Sh70 million Level 3 hospital whose construction has been commissioned by the Kiambu county Government, significantly improving access to healthcare's to thousands of low-income earners that reside in the estateThe state-of-the-art facility will have a 28-bed maternity ward equipped with an obstetric surgical theatre that will cater to perinatal care, enhancing maternal health services in the area.Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi while speaking during the commissioning of the facility yesterday said the hospital is part of the county government's health agenda of boosting access to health services in the county.The Level 3 facility, he said, is projected to be completed within a year's time and will offer maternity services, an outpatient section and will manage other chronic complications.He said it will not only ease pressure at the Thika level 5 hospital which is overburdened by patients, especially mothers seeking delivery, but w ill also ease access to maternal care to pregnant mothers in the area.The hospital will also have a 10-bed inpatient wing to manage acute and chronic conditions while the outpatient section will offer primary care services, focusing on early diagnosis and the management of chronic diseases.He said the facility will also have a diagnostic laboratory that will help in providing timely and accurate diagnosis results thereby helping medics make informed decisions fast.'This hospital will be a game changer in this estate. Mothers will no longer have to visit Thika Level 5 hospital to deliver their babies. It will thus ease the pressures at the Level 5 facility as well as easing access to health care for residents,' Wamatangi said.Residents led by Paul Mwangi welcomed the facility saying it will boost access to health care in the area. They called on the county government to make the services affordable to the residents since most of them are low-income-earners.'We will no longer have to travel to Thika L evel Five Hospital to seek treatment. We hope it will offer all the services at affordable cost because we have suffered for long,' said Everlyn Nyambura, another resident.Source: Kenya News Agency