13/05/2022
The KNH state-of-the-art projects By Kennedy Mbogo & Dave Opiyo Zarina Merali Daycare Centre The Zarina Merali Daycare Centre is the state-of-the art facility that will facilitate outpatient surgeries or same-day surgeries for KNH patients. These are surgeries that do not require hospitalization before and after an operation, meaning patients who undergo some surgical procedures will be allowed to recuperate at home after an operation. The Sh204 million project construction was funded jointly by the Government of Kenya and the Zarina Merali Foundation. Equipping of the state-ofthe-art facility was done by the Government and the Sports Arts & Social Development Fund at a cost of Sh155 million and Sh127 million respectively. The centre has four (4) theatres, an endoscopy unit, an electrophysiology room, and associated support facilities. It is equipped to offer a wide range of ambulatory surgeries such as cosmetic, dental, gynaecology, endoscopy to name just a few. This, it is expected, will greatly minimize hospital-acquired infections and reduce congestion in the wards for better management of admitted patients. There are better clinical outcomes when a patient is being nursed at home close to his/ her family members than when one is confined in the hospital. Patients who have undergone surgery through this arrangement are indeed a happy lot. The popularity the Daycare Centre has, of late, been on the increase due to the rising demand for outpatient surgery and improved technologies. Statistics indicate that 80 percent of the long waiting time by patients is caused by a lack of theatre allocation arising from a high number of surgical cases. The outpatient surgery is intended to offload part of the cost of surgery from the patients, allow more patients to access specialized care while decongesting the
hospital, and reduce patients waiting time in the theatre. Centre for Kidney Diseases & Organ Transplantation (CKDOT) The KNH Centre for Kidney Disease and Organ Transplantation is a specialized facility for kidney and liver transplants and the management of complicated kidney diseases, liver, including other organs’ transplants, and provides training and research opportunities. It is supported by a state-of-the-art HLA Lab for donor and recipient matching. The facility was funded by the Government of Kenya at a cost of Sh 200 million and has two transplant theatres, a postrecovery room, and two wards, each containing six (6) beds for both
PHOTO | NICHOLAS WAMALWA
The newly launched Zarina Merali day care centre building
ISSUE 10 | Kenyatta National Hospital Newsline
genders and cloakrooms. Non-communicable diseases account for approximately 27% of all deaths in Kenya, equivalent to almost 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2016). Over 50% of all hospital admissions are as a result of NCDs. Twelve (12) years ago KNH started a program dubbed ‘Interlife’ to revamp Kidney Transplantation Services in the country. This was occasioned by a rise in the number of Kenyans developing chronic kidney disease, with a significant number of these individuals requiring dialysis and eventually transplantations. Unfortunately, only 10 percent of these patients with end-stage kidney failure, were able to access specialized health care. This, as a result, led to increased demand for the services and so far, Kenyatta National Hospital has performed more than 200 Kidney Transplants. With the number of patients seeking transplants rising every year, there was a significant capacity gap in terms of space in the hospital, thereby necessitating expansion of the existing renal facility. In 2017, the Government of Kenya commenced the construction of a new renal unit that would serve as a regional centre of excellence in the management of kidney diseases. Patient care has greatly improved as they are now being served in a decent environment
PHOTO | COURTESY
CEO KNH Dr. Evanson Kamuri, EBS takes President Uhuru Kenyatta on a tour of the Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics Laboratory (HLA Lab).
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