The Operationalization of Othaya Hospital in Nyeri County will help in decongesting Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
The hospital which is an annex of KNH will be getting referrals especially from Mount Kenya and neighbouring regions.
In partnership with leaders from Mount Kenya region, KNH has been conducting free medical camps in Nyeri and Murang’a counties to popularize the health facility which started to operate towards end of last year.
A Board Member of KNH, Dr. Stanley Kamau speaking during a medical camp at Kiriaini shopping centre in Murang’a on Friday asked relatives with patients at Kenyatta National Hospital to consider transferring them to Othaya hospital.
By transferring the patients to the KNH Annex Hospital, Kamau noted, it will be easy for people from Mount Kenya region to visit their patients without incurring much costs.
Dr. Kamau observed that the 300-bed capacity Othaya hospital is well equipped and will offer similar services the ones offered at KNH.
“The Othaya hospital which is an Annex facility of KNH will assist in decongesting the national referral hospital. People from this region will now be referred to the hospital in Nyeri County,” noted Kamau.
The management of KNH, Kamau added, was working to ensure the annex hospital has all required equipment and personnel to cater for referral cases.
“The facility will be of great help since people especially from this region and parts of northern Kenya will be referred here instead of being taken to KNH,” added Kamau who is also director of Ahadi Kenya Trust.
Speaking during the occasion the KNH Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Evanson Kamuri lauded the government for making Othaya hospital an annex of Kenyatta National Hospital.
He said the annex hospital will be nearer to patients from Mount Kenya, Eastern and Northern part of Kenya.
The hospital, he said will be centre of excellence in dealing with non-communicable diseases, like diabetes, kidney problems and cancer among others.
“The hospital will have an Intensive care unit, new born unit, trauma, and accidents. The hospital will be giving services like similar to those offered at KNH and in any case of specialized cases, patients will be referred to Kenyatta National Hospital,” added Kamuri.
Construction of Othaya Hospital which started during former President Mwai Kibaki’s regime stalled for several years before it was completed by the Jubilee administration.
The facility has been made an annex of KNH to help in taking referral services near to people and reduce congestion at the Nairobi based national referral hospital.
By Bernard Munyao
