• In this financial year, the health sector was allocated Sh7.4 billion, and at least Sh400 million will be used to upgrade community health centres.
• The county is also working towards ensuring each of the top health centres in the 17 subcounties has ambulances, enough medical personnel.
Nairobi county government will partner with the private and community health centres to enhance service delivery, Governor Mike Sonko has said.
Sonko on Saturday said that other than upgrading the county's top four facilities — Mama Lucy, Pumwani, Mbagathi and Mutuini hospitals — his administration will also channel resources to community health centres.
“ We have private facilities within these places and because we have no adequate land to put up county hospitals, we must find a way of how we can work together to ensure residents have access to reliable and quality medical care,” he said in a statement.
In this financial year, the health sector was allocated Sh7.4 billion, and at least Sh400 million will be used to upgrade community health centres.
The upgrade will include the acquisition of more equipment and enhancing the capacity to handle more patients.
" We have received complains that the county is only focusing on the major health facilities and neglecting other health centres and that is why we are going to have a special partnership,” Sonko said.
He also noted that besides the county health centres in the 17 subcounties, his government has taken stock of other facilities that have been supplementing the provision of health services in informal settlements.
The county boss also hailed matatu operators who partnered with the county to donate medical equipment to Mama Lucy Hospital.
In addition, the county is also working towards ensuring each of the top health centres in the 17 subcounties has ambulances, enough medical personnel.
In this regard, plans are underway to buy at least 30 ambulances, which will be distributed among the health centres.
Private health facilities and other community based health centers operating within proximity may benefit from such services once the partnership deal is sealed.
In July this year, suspended Health executive Mohamend Dagane released figures by the department showing a significant increase in patients visiting Pumwani Maternity, Mama Lucy and Mbagathi hospitals.
"In Pumwani Maternity Hospital alone, ... the number of deliveries has nearly doubled — from 11,169 to 19,267 per year — an increment of 42 per cent . The facility was the first to be upgraded under Sonko’s administration,” he said.
“At Mbagathi Hospital, the number of patients recorded in the outpatient department has risen from 98,471 in June 2017 to 113,916, an increment of 14 per cent. We have a projection of 200,000 patients by the end of the year.” Dagane added
At Mama Lucy Hospital, the number of patients has increased to 314,000 from 214,150 in 2017, marking a 32 per cent rise.
A similar inflow of patients was also recorded in Level 2 and 3 facilities in Kayole I, Kayole II, Lunga Lunga health centre, Eastleigh health centre and Westlands health centre, among others.
The governor has said that his administration has invested heavily in equipping county hospitals to improve the provision of healthcare services.
“More patients are now seeking services from Nairobi County health facilities due to the intensified upgrade and equipping of the hospitals,”
The governor has further urged the public not to hesitate to report any incidences of fraud, mistreatment and negligence by county health officers .