Kiambu county government plans to put up a neurosurgery hospital and school worth more than Sh1 billion. The first class model hospital, which may be put up in Kiambu town, will be third in the world after the China and United States neurosurgery hospitals.

Speaking to the Star in his office in Thika yesterday, Kiambu Deputy Governor Gerald Githinji said the hospital will serve 600 million people from Africa - mainly from East and Central Africa.

He said a fundraiser will be held to raise money for building the hospital. "We have already received a proposal from partners who are willing to work with us to put up the neurosurgery hospital, which will cost more than Sh1 billion," Githinji said.

He said the hospital will also have a nursing school to boost medical care in Kenyan hospitals. Githinji said they have started consultations with doctors from the United Kingdom and Spain, who have been in the county for about three weeks.

He said the hospital will cater for many people and relieve the Kenyatta National Hospital, which has a bed capacity of 40. "The doctors have operated on 12 patients out of 33 patients who were shortlisted from the free neurosurgery operation that is going on in Kiambu Hospital. We are projecting that they shall treat all of them," Githinji said. He said the free surgery acted as a pilot project.

Githinji said it will be a monthly initiative and the doctors who have volunteered from Spain will train Kenyans. He said his family supports improvement of medical care in the county.

Githinji said his daughter, who graduated recently from a US medical university, is at the forefront of steering the initiative to cater for the less privileged in society.