NMS commissions first public ear hospital

Nairobi residents suffering from ear-related complications can now get health services from the Ngara Otology Center.

Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) on Wednesday commissioned its first ever public hospital in Ngara dealing with ear-related complications.

Apart from Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), no other public facility deals with ear problems.

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said the centre would have an ear-specialised area for adult patients with hearing complications, especially newborn babies.

The hospital being one of its kind, the government pledged to equip, expand and train personnel in the facility.

“Because it is the only facility of its kind, we are going to ensure that whatever facilitation is required both in terms of equipment and training of personnel is achieved. We will ensure it has the personnel to ensure the hospital achieves its purpose,” Kagwe added.

The Ngara Otology Center will specialise in the study, diagnosis and treatment of ear-related issues.

It will also offer a broad scope of services from consultation to simple ear drum surgery, cochlear implant and skull base surgery.

It was among the three NMS-built hospitals commissioned by CS Kagwe and NMS Director General Mohamed Badi.

The other includes Githurai 44 and Babadogo Level 3 Hospitals.

This will bring the total number of NMS commissioned hospitals to 20.

DG Lieutenant General Badi said the newly-commissioned hospitals are aimed at decongesting Nairobi’s referral hospitals including KNH, Mbagathi and Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospitals

As a result and for the first time, it has been noted that walk-in patients have reduced in the above hospitals.

From January 2022 until now, the NMS hospitals have attended to over 2,362,169 patients.

According to NMS, this brings the utilisation and access of public health facilities in Nairobi to 56 per cent in 2022 from 32 per cent in 2019.

Badi further highlighted that NMS has constructed and rehabilitated 28 hospitals, with 24 newly-built hospitals.

The remaining will be opened before General Elections next month.

The commissioned hospitals include Mihang’o Level 3, Mwiki Health Centre and Mathare-Korogocho Level 5 Hospital, renamed Mama Margaret Kenyatta Hospital.

Others are Gichagi in Kangemi, Mukuru Kwa Reuben, Tassia Kwa Ndege and Our Lady of Nazareth in Mukuru Kwa Njenga, which were opened in July last year.

The Uthiru, Kiamaiko, Soweto-Kayole, Ushirika and Green Park hospitals were opened in February 2022.