Karira Mission Hospital gets scanning machine

KIRINYAGA: Hundreds of patients from Mt Kenya region now have a reason to smile after Catholic Diocese of Muranga installed an ultra-modern Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine at Karira Mission Hospital in Mwea.

The machine was officially commissioned by Diocesan Bishop Maria Wainaina at the hospital's diagnostic centre Thursday.

Speaking at the event, Bishop Wainaina said the facility should offer relief to families who, in the past, have been forced to take their ailing kin to Nairobi for imaging services.

GUESS WORK

"Many patients have either died while on the way to Nairobi or have had their condition worsen during the lengthy journey. This is however, now a thing of the past due to availability of this imaging machine," he said.

The cleric said they opted to have the machine installed at the hospital because Mwea is easily accessible to all residents of Mt Kenya region.

"We expect this facility to not only benefit Kirinyaga residents but also those from neighbouring counties. As a church we do not discriminate any one coming to seek such services," he said.

The Bishop also said the church, being a development partner with Government, welcomes the recent purchase of cancer treatment equipment.

He said the presence of these machines will now greatly shorten the amount of time it takes doctors to diagnose various ailments and will also remove the element of "guess work" since the machines will pin point the specific body part which has a problem.

Also speaking at the event, Deputy Governor Julius Njiiri lauded installation of the MRI machine saying it is the first of its kind in the region.

He urged other NGOs to partner with the county government in provision of quality health services.

James Mugo, who supplied the Sh40 million machine, said the scanner is among the most modern among various medical facilities across the country.