CS Duale Launches ICU, Amenity Ward at Chuka Level 5 as Tharaka Nithi Joins Taifa Care Rollout
Tharaka Nithi County, - Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale launched a five-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and a 14-bed private amenity ward at Chuka Level 5 Hospital in Tharaka Nithi County, marking a significant boost to access to specialised and dignified care under Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.
The launch formally places Tharaka Nithi as the 27th county under the Ministry of Health’s County-to-County Taifa Care activation. Hon. Duale commended the county leadership for prioritising health investments, underscoring the Government’s obligation to ensure equitable, quality healthcare for every Kenyan.
Addressing health workers and leaders, the CS highlighted steady gains in service delivery driven by digital health reforms, strengthened medical supplies following Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) reforms, expansion of primary healthcare, and the pivotal role of Community Health Promoters (CHPs).
He reported that 28.1 million Kenyans are now registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA), with Tharaka Nithi recording 63 per cent enrolment, ranking sixth nationally. To strengthen frontline delivery, the CS announced that 107,000 Community Health Promoters are now fully covered under SHIF premiums, jointly funded by national and county governments.
Hon. Duale further confirmed that Chuka Level 5 Hospital will receive an MRI machine under the National Equipment Services Programme (NESP). Plans are also underway to deploy cancer specialists and establish a Cancer Centre at the facility to respond to the rising cancer burden.
Reaffirming the Ministry’s focus on reducing maternal and newborn mortality, the CS emphasised a health system anchored on efficiency, equity, and excellence. He issued a firm warning against medical practitioners who divert patients to private facilities during official working hours, describing the practice as fraudulent and unacceptable.
The visit concluded with the distribution of 678 digital devices to health facilities across the county, aimed at enhancing service delivery, strengthening accountability, and curbing unqualified medical practice.
The event was attended by national and county leaders led by Governor H.E. Muthomi Njuki, Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr Ouma Oluga, and senior officials from the Ministry of Health and its agencies.