•The NMS was mandated by Uhuru to build 19 new health facilities each for Sh70 million and another five would be rehabilitated for Sh300 million.
•10 out of the 19 new facilities are level 2 hospitals while the rest (10) are level 3.
Image: PSCU
More than 16,000 patients have been attended to at the four city hospitals built by the NMS two months after the facilities were commissioned.
The four hospitals; Muthua in Uthiru, New Mathari in Kiamaiko, Ushirika in Dandora and Soweto in Kayole were build to boost healthcare access in informal settlements
They are part of the 24 hospitals that President Uhuru Kenyatta directed NMS director-general Mohammed Badi and his team to construct at a cost of Sh2 billion
Data from the directorate of health at the Nairobi Metropolitan Services says 16,208 patients have sought health services at the facilities since they were launched in February.
While launching the four hospitals, Uhuru had said the construction of the facilities had proved that development can be made accessible anywhere in Nairobi with very little money.
“The public can now access health services without having to travel all the way to Kenyatta National Hospital and I am proud of the good work NMS director-general and his team have done in building these facilities in remote areas within Nairobi," he said.
At Muthua hospital, 5,974 patients visited the facility in the past two months. Some 969 patients were aged below five.
The statistics show 736 patients sought nutrition services, 928 (immunisation), 38 (post-natal care), 326 (antenatal care), 373 ( family planning), 366 (laboratory) and 17 for maternity .
Another 3,541 patients went to Ushirika hospital in Dandora. Nearly half (1,057) of the patients were below five years.
The data shows 267 patients sought nutrition services, 158 were immunised, 59 (antenatal care), 113 (family planning), 144 (laboratory) and five seen for maternity services.
At the New Mathari Hospital, 2,919 patients have been seen since the facility opened its doors. Some 681 patients were below five years. Eight sought maternity services, 199 (laboratory), 67 (maternity) and 35 (antenatal care). Another 62 were immunised while 322 others sought nutrition services.
Some 3,774 patients went to Soweto hospital in Kayole with 1089 being under five.
Data shows 413 patients sought nutrition services, 232 (immunisation), 15 (post-natal care), 269 (antenatal care), 197 (family planning), nine (laboratory), 11 (maternity) while some 76 sought services at the Comprehensive Care Centre.
The Gatina hospital in Kawangware and Gichagi hospital in Kangemi have been completed but yet to be commissioned.
Mukuru kwa Reuben, Mukuru kwa Njenga, Riruta-Satelite and Lunga Lunga hospitals are at advanced stages of completion.
Image: FREDRICK OMONDI
The NMS was mandated to build 19 new health facilities each for Sh70 million. Another five were to be rehabilitated at a cost of Sh300 million.
Ten out of the 19 new facilities are level 2 hospitals while the rest are level 3 facilities.
A level two health facility is referred to as dispensaries and is run by clinical officers. They offer outpatient, VCT, TB, laboratory, antenatal and postnatal services, curative treatment and issuance of referral letters to other hospitals.
Level 3 hospitals are referred to as health centres and are run by at least one doctor, clinical officers and nurses.
Services offered include curative, laboratory, antenatal and postnatal, maternity in-patient services, dental, pharmacy, TB clinics, diabetes and hypertension clinics. They also issue referral letters to other facilities.
The level two hospitals to be build include Sinai in Viwandani, Soweto in Kayole, Ngomongo in Korogocho, New Mathare in Kiamaiko, Lucky Summer, and Gatina in Kawangware. Others are Ushirika in Dandora, Zimmerman, Gumba and Gichagi in Mountain View
Level 3 hospitals include Majengo, Tassia kwa Ndege, Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Mukuru kwa Reuben, Kianda 42 in Kibera, Ngundu in Kamulu, Karura in Mwiki, Uthiru Muthua and Githurai kwa Chief.
The five hospitals which had stalled and are being refurbished are Lunga Lunga, Upendo, Riruta Satelite, Dandora 2 and Kibera Chief Camp – Soweto East.