Plans are underway to upgrade Chuka County Referral Hospital to a level five facility.

The Sh230 million level 4 facility located in Tharaka Nithi was officially commissioned by President William Ruto in March last year when he was still the DP.

A level 5 facility provides services offered in a level 4 and more comprehensive set of services together with internship services for medical staff, research and serves as training centres for paramedical staff.

The process of upgrading the hospital has officially begun following a directive by President Ruto to the Ministry of Health.

On Monday, Health CS Susan Wafula and Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki toured the hospital to assess its state of preparedness.

The CS noted that the facility has made great progress, but there is still much work to be done.

“The Ministry of Health will provide support with essential equipment such as CT scans and HDU machines,” the CS said.

“The county government is urged to prioritize its health budget to aid the hospital's compliance with Level 5 status,” she advised.

According to the CS, the telemedicine platform developed by Google in Tharaka Nithi will allow for easy access to quality healthcare services, cutting costs and improving healthcare outcomes.

The ministry has pledged to work with the county government to ensure that the hospital meets the required standards such as an operational High Dependence Unit and an Intensive Care Unit.

“There are a number of areas that must be improved to meet the requirements but my ministry will work with the county government to fix them,” Wafula said.

The CS had earlier inspected Marimanti Level 4 Hospital and assessed the infrastructure at the facility as the country continues to focus on timely, quality and affordable service delivery.

She said the Ministry will support the facility with equipment such as a CT scan to improve the quality of services.

She further said the development of a telemedicine platform on Google will allow patients to access consultations from top health professionals and reduce the challenges of travel for medical services.