Kiambu level 5 hospital may soon receive support from a Chinese health institution after its officials visited the health facility on Wednesday to assess its current situation.
Representatives from Global Health Care (GHC), a Chines registered non-governmental organisation (NGO), toured the hospital with an aim of evaluating the amenities the hospital provides to cater for patients with a variety of conditions such as cataracts, cleft lip, diabetes, Cancer and pneumonia among others.
Prior to the impromptu tour, the strong powered team held a meeting with those from the Kiambu County government led by CEC for Health Ms. Mary Kamau.
Briefing the press after the meeting, Ms. Kamau said the visiting team had initiated talks which would culminate in patients from the hospital benefitting from surgery on cataract and cleft lips.
The team learnt that the health facility had one maxillofacial surgeon who specialises in treating many diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws, hands and soft tissues of the oral section of the body but has no reconstructive surgeon and lacks enough and proper equipment to deal with cataracts.
Moreover, Ms. Kamau emphasized on the challenge of financing the eye related services due to their high demand within the county.
According to Dr. Halima Hassan, the head Cataract surgeon in the hospital, the eye clinic receives at least five patients a day.
During the tour of the eye clinic, Dr. Hassan highlighted on the financial burden patients have when it came to treatment by giving an example of a patient who underwent surgery for bilateral cataract but was unable to clear the balance she owed the hospital which was 6,000 shillings.
She said that owing to the urgency of the operation, she had to pay for the patient to undergo the surgery as she was vulnerable.
Other challenges brought to light were inadequate space for the patients’ waiting bay and the work station thus leading to treatment for only a limited number of them.
While conducting their assessment of the status of the hospital, the visitors and other stakeholders also explored facilities such as the theater, sick bay and a physician’s consulting room.
In response to the issues facing the hospital, stakeholders looked forward to a partnership with the foreign organization as it may result in the institution receiving not only humanitarian aid but also free cataract surgeries.
Currently, the health department of Kiambu is planning to conduct medical camps with one scheduled to be introduced July.
In addition, medical centers will also be established with the aim of focusing on primary health.
By Kingsley Wanjohi
