EXPLAINER: Details of Nairobi's first public Eye Hospital

Nairobi County on Monday marked a milestone as it officially launched its first public eye hospital.

The hospital will be a relief to city residents as most patients in low-resource settings in Nairobi are unable to afford specialised eye treatment or seek treatment when it is too late making it difficult to restore or save their sight.

The Sh12.7 million Mama Lucy Eye Hospital is located at  Umoja 2, Embakasi West.

It has a 30-bed capacity, where patients can rest as well as be admitted during eye procedures.

The facility, according to Mama Lucy Hospital CEO Alfred Wafula has two operating theatres with five eye operating microscopes with the ability of operating five patients at a go.

"We are the first hospital with a stand-alone glass production unit inside the hospital," Wafula said.

When the patient comes for spectacles when they are given a prescription, it takes 30 minutes for the patient to be given spectacles.

There are seven consultants and the hospital will be operating 24 hours.

The building existed during the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Service tenure.

However, it is the Governor Johnson Sakaja-led administration that revamped and installed machines to turn the place into a hospital.

The operating eye microscope cost Sh6.7 million, theatre items -Sh3 million, hospital furniture Sh1 million and civil works at Sh2 million.

"By offering the establishment of the eye care and treatment facility, the county seeks to alleviate the burden of cataracts on individuals and improve their overall well-being," Wekesa added.

The CEO stated that prior to the launch, the facility had a free medical camp from October 30, 2023, to November 3, 2023.

Atleast 5, 000 people attended the free eye clinic with 60 per cent of clients coming from Nairobi

"However, we received people as far as Garissa county, Mombasa, Kisumu, Lodwar and West Pokot which is an indication that eye problems affect many people in the society," Wekesa added.

At the climax of the free eye clinic, saw an 85-year-old man being operated on.

He had been partially blind but after the surgery, his sight was restored.

329 surgeries were conducted and 323 people had their eye problems solved.

Atleast 5000 spectacles were issued for free while the county dispensed medication to 5,000 clients.

To expand its services. The Mama Lucy Eye Hospital will offer training grounds for eye specialists

"At the moment we have started training for the University of Nairobi, JKUAT, Kenya Medical Training College. They are coming for exposure training," Wekesa added.