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Dialysis patients in Kirinyaga County are facing a health crisis as most of the dialysis machines at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital remain out of service.
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Out of the eight machines available at the hospital, only two are currently functional, forcing hundreds of patients to endure long waiting hours or travel to other counties for treatment. The breakdowns have been ongoing for the past five months, leaving patients with kidney failure vulnerable.
Among those affected is 76-year-old Beatrice Mureithi, who says the limited dialysis time is inadequate.
“We were meant to undergo dialysis for four hours, but with fewer machines, the sessions were reduced to three and now only two. That means the blood is not properly cleaned, and it doesn’t help us,” she explained.
Other patients, including Amos Wanjau, have also been turned away due to lack of space at the facility, the only major referral hospital in Kirinyaga.
The situation has drawn concern from Senator Kamau Murango, who is demanding urgent repairs.
“When blood is not cleaned in time, the patient grows weaker. It is unacceptable for such a crisis to persist while funds remain unused in county accounts,” he said.
Governor Anne Waiguru, however, clarified that dialysis machines are supplied by the national government under the National Equipment Support Scheme (NESS). She assured that new machines are expected to arrive at Kerugoya Level 5 Hospital on Wednesday.
