Kenya inaugurates new Level 5 hospital to expand healthcare delivery

KENYA – Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has launched the newly upgraded Mathare-Korogocho Level 5 Hospital with a 350-bed capacity to offer specialized health care services for free or at subsidized rates.

The hospital has in-patient wards, a 24-hour pharmacy, kidney dialysis center, an intensive care unit, burns unit and theatres.

It also offers renal dialysis, radiology services, tuberculosis management, mortuary and autopsy services, pathology, chemotherapy, and forensic services.

The health facility has been renamed to Mama Margaret Kenyatta Children Hospital and remains the largest county referral hospital under the Nairobi County government which now has two level 5 hospitals.

The KES 400 million (US$3.5m) refurbished hospital located in Mathare North will ease pressure on Kenyatta National Hospital and Mama Lucy Kibaki Level 5 Hospital in Eastlands which serves over 2.1 million people.

The upgraded hospital will address the challenges faced at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital which currently grapples with a bed occupancy of 135 percent as it attends to 25,000 patients every month in the outpatient department and another 2,000 patients every month in the inpatient department.

The hospital will also dedicate an entire floor to attend to boda-boda riders injured while carrying out their business activities.

Earlier, President Uhuru authorized Nairobi Metropolitan Services in August 2020 to construct 24 hospitals in informal settlements so as to boost access to health services as part of the government’s measures aimed at revolutionizing healthcare.

Uhuru’s administration has steered an increase of 43 per cent in public health facilities from a stock of 4,429 facilities in 2013 to 6,342 currently.

Safaricom Foundation’s Programme benefits 5,000 children

Meanwhile, the Safaricom Foundation’s Children with Diabetes Programme has benefitted about 5,000 children and youth under 21 years with early detection and screening as well as management of Type 1 diabetes.

The three-year programme is currently continuously providing diabetes commodities such as insulin and syringes for management and care to 435 children through 60 community health volunteers enrolled in the programme.

The Safaricom Foundation has invested KES 120 million (US$1m) in the health programme that ends in March 2022 to offer infrastructure and material support along with an advanced child friendly diabetic clinic at the Garissa Referral Hospital.

The initiative is a partnership between the Garissa County Government, Goldstar Kenya and Kenya Diabetes Management and Information Centre.

The programme intended to improve early detection systems in managing diabetes as well as comprehensive care and management of diabetes in children.

It also aimed to provide aid for the healthcare systems to manage, monitor and provide services concerning Type 1 diabetes and guarantee quality health services to diabetic children.

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