24 new health facilities to be constructed in Nairobi slums at Sh2billion in 100 days
Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) is set to construct 24 new health facilities in Nairobi’s informal settlements at a cost of Sh2 billion, in the next three months.
The health facilities will be put up in Viwandani, Majengo, Mathare, Kayole Soweto, Korogocho, Kawangware, Gitare Marigu, Mukuru kwa Njenga, Mukuru kwa Rueben, Kibra and Githurai.
NEW TARGETS
This as plans are also underway to elevate Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital to a Level Five health facility.
The new development comes at a time when Covid-19 cases in the country continue to soar having passed the 10,000 mark with Nairobi County bearing the worst burden, especially the informal settlements.
The capital has been the epicenter of coronavirus accounting for half of the total cases across the country.
According to NMS Director General Mohammed Badi, the construction of the facilities is part of new targets his administration seeks to achieve in the next 100 days.
“In my next 100 days, I intend to achieve building 24 fully functional hospitals in Nairobi’s informal settlements. Development comes at a cost and we must ensure we do not go back to where we came from,” said Major General Badi.
REHABILITATED
NMS Health Services Director Dr Josephine Kibaru-Mbae explained that out of the 24 health facilities, 19 will be constructed from scratch while the remaining five will be rehabilitated.
Early this month, the new office said Sh300 million will be spent in the current financial year to rehabilitate health facilities across the 17 sub-Counties in Nairobi.
She pointed out that 10 out of the targeted number will be Level Two health facilities while the rest will be Level Three.
This, the director pointed out, is in line with NMS’s vision in terms of health care in informal settlements which is provision of comprehensive and quality health services to city residents living in these areas just like other parts of the county.
“Most of the selected informal settlements do not have any health facilities making it hard for people to access health services. But the planned health facilities will be a game-changer once complete,” said Dr Mbae.
FACILITIES
Level Two health facilities are mostly dispensaries run by clinical officers offering outpatient services, VCT, Tuberculosis, pharmacy and laboratory services, among others.
On the other hand, Level Three health facilities are made up of health centres and small hospitals with minimal facilities.
They are run by at least one doctor, clinical officers and nurses and offer services including curative services, maternity in-patient services with a ward, laboratory services, dental, counselling, pharmacy, TB clinics and many more.
The director said that Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) will be contracted to supply drugs to the facilities, stating that the agency is currently supplying NMS level 2 and 3 facilities with drugs under the Universal Healthcare agreement.
“More drugs will be procured as required once the facilities are done,” she said.