The mortuary at Mwai Kibaki Level 6 Hospital in Nyeri, formerly Kenyatta National Hospital - Othaya Annex, is open for use.
The morgue has a 250-body capacity but currently has equipment to preserve 66 bodies.
Othaya MP Gichuki Mugambi said Wednesday that before its completion, residents were compelled to take the bodies of their loved ones to facilities outside the constituency.
“But that is a thing of the past. The mortuary is now complete and operational. It is an extremely modern facility which we hope will be able to accord the people of Othaya and this region’s loved ones the respect they deserve,” he said.
The MP spoke at the facility when he, together with the hospital administration, toured to see the progress of the ongoing projects.
Other facilities that are in operation include the oxygen plant, one of the biggest in the country, with a capacity to generate 2.6 million litres of oxygen per day with a backup capacity of the same.
“We are able to give backup to KNH, Nairobi, and will be able to support all medical facilities in this region and beyond,” he said.
A pathologist has been posted at the facility. Senior director at the hospital, Peter Muiruri, said all the projects that were being done there had been completed to bring the level of the facility to a national hospital.
The morgue, Muiruri said, has been fitted with cabinets and has embraced innovative ways of preserving bodies, apart from using the coolers, which will ensure they are well-preserved without getting decomposed.
“There will be no smell from this farewell home and trust me when you come back when we have the maximum number of bodies, there will still be no smell,” he said.
Other than the morgue and oxygen plant, the hospital laundry and kitchen have also been completed with Sh500 million funding from the national government.
The lion’s share of the money went to the oxygen plant due to the high cost of the equipment required there.
The production of 2.6 million litres of oxygen a day means the plant is able to fill about 30 cylinders of oxygen or 1800 litres a minute, he said.
The hospital is still under the management of KNH, so it can tap on the expertise of the national facility until it is incubated and gets to a level where it can run on its own and get its own board.
It has been hosting visiting specialists from KNH who offer services there.
This has enabled it to offer all the services that are normally offered at the KNH.
Edited by A.N
