State employees and Nairobi health workers will have a dedicated hospital where they can access care from January.
The Sh34 million Highridge Hospital currently being constructed by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services will be a corporate clinic entirely dedicated to government employees.
NMS director of Health Services Ouma Oluga explained to the Star on Wednesday that the project is part of their expansion programme of health services in the county.
“We (NMS) want the parastatals, government employees and NMS staff to have a sense of belonging in the new Highridge–Parklands Hospital next to Visa Oshwal temple,” he said.
The director noted that by seeking services in their own facility, health workers and state employees demonstrate that they have trust in the public facilities.
"If one cannot get treated where you work, where do you want to consume the services you offer to residents? Oluga posed.
Construction started in April and has reached the third floor.
The hospital will be a level 4 facility, similar to Mbagathi and Mama Lucy. Level 4 hospitals offer holistic services and are run by a director who is a medic and at best, a doctor by profession.
Oluga said the hospital will ensure medical cover money goes back to the government, which insures the employees.
“The logic behind the hospital is to reduce the cost of treatment by government employees who pay high fees when they seek services in private hospitals,” Oluga explained.
“We noticed that the cost of treatment for government employees is too high and the staff do not get value for money when they go to private schools.
"If for example, you come for surgery, instead of paying Sh800,000 charged by private hospitals, you will be paying only Sh50,000.”
In this financial year, Sh400 million was set aside for the rehabilitation of health facilities in the capital. The works will focus on 104 facilities to enhance access to health services at the ward level across the 17 subcounties.
More medical equipment to the facilities will improve their efficiency in service delivery and uplift their capacity to handle more patients.
The majority of the 104 community health facilities are in a dilapidated state and need some improvement, hence the allocation will be a shot in the arm.
The health facilities have been supplementing the provision of health services to residents in informal settlements.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
