MP petitions government to upgrade Gilgil Mental Hospital

Patients at Gilgil Mental Hospital. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

Gilgil MP Martha Wangari has petitioned the government to boost infrastructure and services at the Gilgil Mental Hospital, the second largest mental facility in the country after Mathari in Nairobi.

As the government embarks on the affordable housing project in the town, the MP said it should also consider replacing archaic facilities at the hospital.

This came as the State Department for Housing and Urban Development embarked on public participation, with the land next to the mental hospital earmarked for a housing project.

In a letter to the department, Wangari noted that tens of acres belonging to the public in the area had been grabbed during previous regimes.

She noted that services at the Gilgil Sub-county Hospital, which hosts the mental facility, were overstretched due to the rising cases of road accidents and mental patients.

"The archaic Gilgil Mental Hospital, which serves over five counties, needs to be upgraded under the housing programme that will be undertaken by the government," she said.

The legislator added that the previous regime had promised over Sh300 million to renovate and upgrade the mental hospital, but this did not materialise.

Wangari added that the government should consider elevating the sub-county hospital from level four to five with proper infrastructure and equipment.

"The project should consider adaptation and improvement of the mental health care and construction of a KMTC on the demarcated land," she said.

Speaking earlier, the Chief Officer for Health in Nakuru, Dr John Murima, said the county was fully supporting the mental hospital despite emerging challenges.