Today, President Kenyatta commissioned the Centre for Kidney Diseases And Organs Transplantation, a facility that will offer specialized kidney and liver transplants and the management of complicated kidney diseases at the Kenya National Hospital.
The center will go a long way in improving the country’s training and renal treatment since all the other cancer treatment centers across the country depend on KNH for the training of doctors and other personnel as well as saving patients the expensive trips abroad to countries like India and South Africa to seek treatment.
This milestone will help address the backlog in treating patients who sometimes takes days while on the waiting list and are in dire need of radiotherapy machines and other facilities.
At the same time, the Head of State launched the Zarina Merali Daycare Centre, the centre has four theatres, an endoscopy unit, an electrophysiology room, and associated support facilities. It is equipped to offer a wide range of ambulatory surgeries such as cosmetic, dental, gynaecology, endoscopy among others.
“There are better clinical outcomes when a patient is being nursed at home close to his/ her family members than when one is confined in the hospital. Patients who have undergone surgery through this arrangement are indeed a happy lot.”
The Zarina Merali Daycare Centre will facilitate outpatient surgeries or same-day surgeries for KNH patients.
Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics Laboratory (HLA Lab), HLA Lab, the first of its kind in East Africa was also launched. The Lab, is a histocompatibility and genetic testing laboratory for solid organ and bone marrow transplantation services.
The launch, commission and operationalization of these new centres marks a key milestone in the delivery of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by providing cheap and accessible renal services.
The Sh204 million project construction was funded jointly by the Government of Kenya and the Zarina Merali Foundation, while equipping of the Centre for Kidney Diseases And Organs Transplantation was done by the Government and the Sports Arts & Social Development Fund at a cost of Sh155 Million and Sh127 Million respectively.
Photo credit: PSCU
