Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has inspected the East Africa Centre of Excellence in Nephrology and Urology to assess its readiness ahead of the commencement of the first phase of operations.
The KSh6 billion Government-funded facility is one of Kenya’s largest investments in specialized renal and urological healthcare and is expected to serve patients from Kenya and across the East African Community once fully operational.
The inspection was carried out at the East Africa Centre of Excellence in Nephrology and Urology where the Cabinet Secretary evaluated the facility readiness for the start of the first phase. This center, apart from being the largest of its kind in Kenya, is going to be the biggest contributor of government health financing towards provision of kidney and urological specialty hospitals.
Through the inspection, the Centre’s Cabinet Secretary walked around, checking out the Centre’s latest facilities which were modular operating theatres, the ICU and HDU wards, advanced diagnostic laboratories, MRI and radiology services, a biorepository, an integrated command centre and a renal replacement therapy unit with 30 machines for dialysis treatment. Another unique feature is the availability of dedicated pediatric dialysis services to address children’s kidney diseases and improve care.
Duale was also able to see the extent to which theCentre’s operational readiness is progressing while he noted that the Ministry of Health has already started working hard on the final aspects of theCentre’s development following approval by the Cabinet for establishing the institution. These include recruitment of staff, setting up operational systems, budgeting, and purchasing of essential medical supplies. All these will be required in order for the centre to be ready for the launching of services.
According to the Ministry, the Centre has already made a significant contribution to specialist healthcare by supporting the training of 444 healthcare professionals and facilitating 375 kidney transplants through Kenyatta National Hospital.
Once operational, the Centre is expected to expand access to advanced diagnosis, treatment and management of kidney and urological diseases, reducing the need for patients to seek specialized treatment abroad. It will also strengthen research, innovation and postgraduate training in nephrology and urology while positioning Kenya as a regional hub for specialized healthcare within the East African Community.
The health inspection has confirmed the government’s resolve to build the country’s health workforce and strengthen specialized medical facilities as a way of enhancing Universal Health Coverage by making medical care of a world-class level more available to Kenyans as well as the larger region.
