•The three institutions will develop close cooperation in the fields of cardiovascular disease, heart diseases and heart surgery for adults and children.
•Other areas of medical and surgical specialities cooperation include oncology including surgery, radiotherapy, immunology, general medicine and prevention, rehabilitation, nuclear medicine, genetics, haematology, nuclear medicine and renal care.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital has been identified as a beneficiary of a new deal by the government.
The deal was signed between the government, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Italy and GKSD Healthcare Management and Consulting.
In the new partnership, KUTRRH will receive an upgrade in the telemedicine field to remotely diagnose and treat patients.
The three institutions will develop close cooperation in the fields of cardiovascular disease, heart diseases and heart surgery for adults and children.
Other areas of medical and surgical specialities cooperation include oncology including surgery, radiotherapy, immunology, general medicine and prevention, rehabilitation, nuclear medicine, genetics, haematology, nuclear medicine and renal care.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said such partnerships will help enhance ongoing efforts by the government to reform the health sector and related outcomes.
“Such partnerships are necessary as they help improve standards. As a government, we are committed to elevating health services to the highest possible standards” he said.
The parties agreed to explore the possibilities for partnership collaboration towards the setting up and development of one or more excellence centres in the country in the areas of medical and surgical specialities cooperation.
They will be required to define the targeted facility and clinical or surgical speciality and detailed development plans in specialised agreements.
Any other areas of interest agreed upon by the parties could be added in future to promote and strengthen the collaboration.
The signatories to the MoU are KUTRRH board chairperson Olive Mugenda, acting CEO Ruth Irumbi, Vita Salute San Raffaele University president Dr Paolo Rotelli and Dr Francesco Galli, the vice president of GKSD Healthcare Management.
KUTRRH benefitted from an agreement on health cooperation signed between the Kenyan and UK governments which was signed last year.
The health cooperation has expanded to cover cancer with a partnership between KUTRRH, Kisii University and the United Kingdom Institutions of Christie Foundation and the University of Manchester to up-skill cancer treatment specialists.
Last week, the government signed a pact with the UK government to boost the fight against the rising burden of non-communicable diseases to improve access to effective cancer treatment in the country.
“The latest development will improve the standard of healthcare in Kenya, through research, workforce training and education of healthcare professionals,” Kagwe said.
“One of the changes we need to make is that when we get into research, we need to have shared benefits once completed. I am convinced we have opportunities in which we can all share in eventual benefits of our research findings.”
He said the programme will initially focus on improving cancer outcomes through early detection, rapid diagnosis and the delivery of high-quality care.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris