KNH charity initiative brings 40 beds

For Sh45,000 you can have a bed with your name at Kenyatta National Hospital.

The hospital has been running a campaign dubbed ‘Adopt A Bed’ that seeks to mobilise resources and replace the ones that have been in existence for years.

The hospital management has said most of the beds were procured when the hospital was established in 1901 hence do not offer the comfort a patient requires for ease of recovery.

So far, the hospital has managed to receive 40 beds since the campaign began late last year out of the targeted 2,000.

Some of those who have donated include Rophine Field Junior School, Mean Machine Old Boys rugby team, Isaiah Okoth and Tony Ndungu families.

Well wisher Dr Rowena Njeri donated 11 beds with mackintosh mattresses and decided that the beds be branded in honour of long-serving doctors who have dedicated their lives to medical practice and training.

They include Dr Anne Kihara, Prof Ruth Nduati, Prof Grace Irimu, the late Dr Amin Mendhat, Prof Walter Mwanda, Prof Aggrey Wasunna and Dr Daniel Ojuka.

“We are at 40. The campaign started towards the end of last year, so we are modernising the facilities,” the hospital chief executive Evanson Kamuri said.

“We have very old beds and have never been changed since the hospital was established and some are very uncomfortable to patients so what we are trying to do is resource mobilisation.”

BED SPECS

According to the hospital management, the bed should be secure, comfortable, adjustable and come with a washable mackintosh mattress.

The bed should have adjustable side rails to ensure the safety of the patient and prevent any falls.

The bed has four wheels which contain breaks that can be easily pressed for safety.

This will aid in the movement of the patient especially by the medical staff and ensure the bed does not move.

The four wheels are adjustable and can move in whichever direction you want.

Also fitted on the bed is an adjustable gadget to aid in administering fluids to patients, adjustable to any height with a screw to avoid any spills.

The campaign seeks to ensure that the beds donated are adjustable at the head, the middle section and the lower section mostly for patients who are unable to move.

The lifting of the lower part is important for those patients who are unable to move in the bed and you want the head rising especially for neural patients who have a head injury and they require the head to be raised upfront.

The adjustable bed comes in handy for patients who require to be placed at either a 45-degree angle or 90 degrees.

The hospital management has identified suppliers with beds that have the specifications and offer the best prices.

Those who wish to make their donations will be required to go to the suppliers, make the payments for the beds and bring the beds to the facility. The hospital does not accept cash.

On Wednesday, the campaign received a boost following a donation of three more beds with mackintosh mattresses from a group of well-wishers. 

The beds were donated by the Pals group, comprising Engineers led by their chairperson Titus Wafula.

“The beds are standardised and adjustable so the patients can move more comfortably, this is beneficial to both the caregivers and the patients,” Wafula said.

“These beds will help in service delivery since the patients will spend their treatment days in comfort. They occupy small spaces compared to the beds which were there before. Our healthcare workers will continue helping patients and give our best to ensure positive outcomes,” Kamuri said.

KNH has been undergoing a lot of transformations in the recent past to improve patient services.

It currently employs more than 6,000 staff and has at least 1,800 beds.

Edited by Kiilu Damaris