- 19 out of the 24 health facilities are being built from scratch at Sh70 million each while five are being rehabilitated for Sh300 million.
- In February Uhuru commissioned four hospitals. The Level 3 Uthiru-Muthua hospital and Kiamaiko, Soweto and Ushirika dispensaries which are Level 2 facilities.
Twelve new hospitals are set for commissioning in Nairobi's informal settlements.
The hospitals are among 24 health facilities which President Uhuru Kenyatta directed Nairobi Metropolitan Services boss Major General Mohammed Badi to build in August last year.
While appearing before the Senate Health committee on Wednesday, Badi said “NMS has 12 hospitals which are equipped and ready for commissioning. We are hoping that in the next two weeks, the President will give guidance on opening them.”
They aim to boost access to healthcare by promoting affordable services in the slums.
The remaining eight are at advanced stages awaiting completion next month.
Badi had been summoned to answer queries based on the utilisation of Covid-19 funds.
At a cost of Sh2 billion, NMS was mandated to set up hospitals in Viwandani, Majengo, Mathare, Kayole, Soweto, Korogocho, Kawangware, Gitare Marigu, Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Mukuru kwa Reuben, Kibera and Githurai 44.
Nineteen out of the 24 health facilities are being built from scratch at Sh70 million each while five are being rehabilitated for Sh300 million.
Ten of the facilities being built will be Level 2 hospitals while nine will be Level 3.
In February, Uhuru commissioned four hospitals. The Level 3 Uthiru-Muthua hospital and Kiamaiko, Soweto and Ushirika dispensaries which are Level 2 facilities.
He also opened a dispensary at Green Park Terminal ahead of the completion of the bus stage.
The additional hospitals are aimed at relieving the strain in Kenyatta National Hospital, Mama Lucy, Pumwani and Mbagathi hospitals.
Badi explained that all 24 hospitals were to be operational by end month.
However, NMS had encountered land acquisition challenges in the informal settlements which delayed construction.
“We encountered some problems in acquiring land in some of the informal settlements since they were fully congested. But we resolved the issues and we are on course,” he said.
The NMS boss also revealed that through savings, they have built three extra hospitals in addition to the 24.
“We were given money for the 24 hospitals but through savings from other departments and authorisation from Treasury, we have added three hospitals,” Badi said.
NMS has also employed 2000 healthcare workers including 44 specialists, 679 nurses and 130 doctors to ensure that human resource is not a barrier to effective service delivery in all the 24 new hospitals and other facilities.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)