Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria has embarked on a project to build an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) facility in 21 days which he claims will be the second-largest facility in the country.
The facility will be able to house 35 ICU beds as the county steps up its efforts to battle the Coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking to the media on Monday, April 13, Iria revealed plans to build the facility in impressive time, "We have started making a modern new ICU unit which should be able to handle 35 patients at a go.
"We started two days ago, we have said it is an emergency business, we are going to spend only 21 days.
"We are doing it day and night, we are not going to do any contracts, we are doing a labour based program whereby we are going to spend nearly a quarter of what we would have spent if we would have gone on a tender basis."
The Governor added that they are using their own contractors and insisted that the facility will be completed in 21 days having started the construction three days ago.
Speaking to Kenyatta National Hospital which has the largest capacity of ICU beds in the country revealed that the hospital has just over 35 beds with 21 of those in the main ICU unit and the rest spread across a number of departments.
Iria also added that the facility will be second largest in the country in terms of ICU bed capacity, "This will be the largest unit within the region, the only unit which will be bigger than this will be Kenyatta which I think will be around 50 or so beds.
"This is meant to not only serve the needs of our people but the needs of the region and also the needs of the nation. It will be open, it's not only an ICU for Muranga.
"If you have a problem elsewhere, you'll be welcome here and that is why we are making a big thing and we are doing it on an emergency basis because what we have on our hands is an emergency virus."
The Governor noted that the county will also be recruiting specialised healthcare personnel who will work in the facility and the jobs will be announced on Wednesday, April 15.
This comes after China built 60,000-square-metre structure with space for 1,000 beds and 30 intensive care wards in just 10 days.
