Mama Margret Kenyatta Children’s Level 6 Hospital Opened By The President In Mathare After 30 Years

The facility was put up in the early 1990s but was grounded due to financial constraints

Mama Margaret Kenyatta Children Hospital has opened its doors to the public after 30 years of stalling

Formerly known as Mathare-Korogocho hospital, the facility was put up in the early 90’s but was grounded.

However, Nairobi Metropolitan Services in July 2021, was charged with reviving its completion.

The five-storey Level 6 hospital is expected to reduce the patient load at Mama Lucy Hospital which serves more than 2.1 million residents in Eastlands.

Last Friday, President Uhuru Kenyatta presided over the commissioning. The hospital’s 350-bed capacity will be managed by the Kenyatta National Hospital to ensure that all residents access health services without risk.

“The Nairobi Metropolitan Services revived it in July 2021, after stalling for over 30 years due to administrative and financial constraints,” Uhuru said.

“Since we started constructing hospitals across the city, I have been informed that pressure has eased at Kenyatta National Hospital{KNH}.”

He has established that easing the livelihood of Kenyans is of great importance.

“Easing different health problems for Kenyans is important. Things like this change live and develop the country.”

He has lauded the leaders that helped with the project and promised to attend to the issue of sewerage and linking roads. The president has noted that patient caseloads at KNH have also reduced since the new hospital started offering its services. According to NHIF records, in the last year, there has been more patient attendance in public hospitals as compared to private hospitals. NMS Director-General Mohamed Badi said the facility will have inpatient and outpatient services, 24-hour pharmacy, a burns unit and staff quarters.

Other services to be offered include renal dialysis, radiology services, tuberculosis management, autopsy, pathology, chemotherapy, forensic services as well as patient admission wards and an intensive care unit and theatres.

The hospital will dedicate a floor for injured boda boda riders. “The hospital will have a floor for women, children, boda boda riders and another one for men. It will also have its own mortuary,” Badi said.

NMS Director of Health Services Dr Ouma Oluga revealed that 162 health workers are already deployed at the facility including specialists.

He said the facility will be operating as a specialized Level 6 pediatric hospital but they will engage further to make sure other services are offered.

President Kenyatta also showered Oluga with praises for transforming the city’s health sector. He said they have a good working relationship with the former secretary general of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union.

“I want to thank Dr.Oluga, …unajua huyu jamaa tulikua tunachapana (we used to fight a lot when he was at the union), but I told him to come and work with me.” Uhuru said.

“We now understand each other and look at what we have achieved by working together.” Last year, NMS signed a Memorandum with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology to have their students pursuing medical courses undertake their practical studies at the hospital. NMS had received equipment worth Sh400 million from the national government ahead of the opening of the hospital. It also requested the Treasury for another Sh200 million for its completion.

President Kenyatta said the hospital will serve as a referral hospital to the surrounding medical institutions.

He said that there are 19 completed hospitals of the proposed 24 to treat ordinary Kenyans who cannot afford private hospital services. “These hospitals have now treated hundreds of thousands of Kenyans in the last two or three years.” The construction of the 350-bed capacity hospital was revived by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services(NMS) in July 2021.