County rolls out a hospital garment manufacturing unit

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has launched a project to manufacture linen and garment for public hospitals in the county.

Launching a garment-making unit at the Kerugoya Level Four Hospital yesterday, Waiguru said it would be equipped with state-of-the-art machines.

The Governor, who was accompanied by her deputy Peter Ndambiri, said the project was part of her mission to achieve world class health care in the county in her first term in office.

“When I was campaigning for this position, I promised that provision of good health care will be my top priority and you can now see this is a milestone achievement,” she said.

She said the unit would be initially run by 20 women, but 80 more would be recruited to reach the 100 required to run the unit.

“All the blankets, clothes and bed sheets for our patients will be manufactured right here in this facility and all we will be required to do is to buy the material in whole sale from the manufacturers and do the rest right here,” she said.

The venture will see the county cut down the cost of buying readymade garments by 50 per cent. The money saved will be reallocated to other areas.

According to Waiguru, the unit will be expanded further to supply linen and garments to other hospitals in neighbouring counties.

Already a garment production instructor, Ms Dorothy Gachoki, has been hired to oversee the unit.

Among the items to be manufactured in the new unit are patients’ uniforms, theatre gowns and ward curtains.

The unit forms part of Waiguru’s larger women empowerment programme.

“This unit will recruit women and equip them with necessary skills to manufacture the garments, which will in turn be sold at subsidised cost to the hospital while the profit realised will go towards empowering the group,” she said.

Health Executive Dr Agnes Gachoki said new venture would give hospitals a new look.