KENYA — Mbagathi Hospital has inaugurated its first Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to alleviate postpartum anxiety among pregnant residents of Nairobi County.
The NICU, designed to provide specialized care for infants, will be staffed by qualified medical professionals and equipped with cutting-edge equipment.
Moreover, the facility aims to cater to both severely ill infants and those requiring specialist nursing care.
In addition to two ventilators, the NICU will feature seven phototherapy machines, eight syringe pumps, seven suction pumps, seven flow Nasal cannula machines, seven radiant warmers, and seven Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines.
One crucial device in the NICU is the CPAP machine, which utilizes low air pressure to maintain open breathing airways during sleep.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will have two consultants, three medical officers, twenty-five nurses, two healthcare assistants, and one dietitian on staff.
The health, wellness, and nutrition sector emerged as the top recipient in this year’s budget, securing a substantial Sh8.1 billion.
This financial commitment underscores the government’s dedication to enhancing healthcare services, particularly in the domains of maternity and neonatal care.
Governor Sakaja of Nairobi visited the newly refurbished Mbagathi Hospital, now featuring a newborn ward, in May.
During the facility tour, he outlined plans to equip all Nairobi hospitals with the necessary staff, medications, and supplies to better serve the city’s residents.
Sakaja, reaffirming his commitment to modernizing county health facilities, stressed the importance of providing Nairobians with access to high-quality and reasonably priced healthcare.
Inspired by the progress at Mbagathi Hospital, Sakaja predicted that three other Nairobi clinics would soon follow suit with similar units.
Closing his remarks, Governor Sakaja emphasized that hospitals could operate more efficiently and with less physical strain with the addition of this equipment.
Dr. Githinji Gitahi, Chair of Mbagathi Hospital’s Board of Management, expressed delight over the NICU’s opening, expressing gratitude for being part of the journey.
He reiterated that with strong governance, leadership, and financial autonomy through the Facility Improvement Fund (FIF), public health systems can achieve the quality standards necessary for universal health coverage.
Another noteworthy achievement in the health sector is the inauguration of the Sh12.7 million Mama Lucy Eye Hospital in Umoja 2, Embakasi West, Nairobi’s first public eye hospital.
This initiative reflects the administration’s commitment to fulfilling its manifesto pledge of providing superior and improved healthcare to the people of Nairobi.
As part of this program, medical equipment such as refrigerators, nebulizers, digital portable X-ray machines, ECG machines, patient monitors, dialysis machines, immunizations, and other essential tools have been donated to enhance diagnosis and treatment in healthcare facilities.
With an inpatient bed occupancy of 200% and an average daily outpatient workload of roughly 1000 patients, the hospital serves as a referral center for the Nairobi Metropolis catchment area.
The hospital provides 24-hour services in the following areas: medical, surgical, rehabilitative, diagnostic, and mortuary.
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