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Makeshift 400-bed Covid-19 isolation centre to be set up at Mbagathi Hospital


Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) is set to create a temporary 400-bed Covid-19 isolation centre for asymptomatic patients as it ramps its Covid-19 preparedness.

This comes with the deadline for counties to have at least 300 isolation beds ready fast approaching.

ISOLATION 

The new office has announced that it is coming up with the makeshift 400-bed Covid-19 isolation centre at Mbagathi Hospital to cater for asymptomatic patients with Nairobi the worst hit county contributing close to half of the reported cases nationwide.

The National Government gave all the 47 counties in the country until July 10, 2020 to make sure that they have set up at least 300 isolation beds as cases of coronavirus continue to soar in the country with at least 4,900 positive cases confirmed.

According to NMS Deputy Director-General Enosh Momanyi, the temporary isolation centre will be done through a government to government partnership with the University of Nairobi Enterprises and Services Limited.

“This will minimize costs, time duration and benefit from well-seasoned experts in the actualization of such projects,” said Mr Momanyi.

He also pointed out that renovation works are ongoing at the county hospital to create 78 more isolation beds and a 10-bed ICU and HDU to aid in treating critically-ill Covid-19 patients.

Early this month, NMS Director for Health Services Dr Josephine Kibaru-Mbae said they were renovating Blocks 1 and 2 at Mbagathi Hospital to be converted into isolation wards for 100 critically-ill patients.

Last month, NMS designated Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital and South B Level 3 Hospital as Covi-19 isolation centres.

EQUIPPING

The two county health facilities joined Mbagathi Isolation Unit, which is under Kenyatta National Hospital, as isolation centres in Nairobi.

NMS also announced that a new 66-bed maternity wing at Mama Lucy Hospital complete with an ICU, a High-Dependency Unit and general wards had been completed only awaiting for equipping before it is opened by the end of this month.

A total of 18 beds will be dedicated at the Intensive Care Unit for admission of Covid-19 patients with serious symptoms like difficulty in breathing and chest pains and who require ventilators.

The county has another 190 beds at Lady Griffin at Kenya Medical Training College, 90 at Pumwani’s Nursing and Training College and 50 at Bahati Health Centre.

As part of the preparations, NMS, through the Public Service Commission, said it was targeting to recruit 225 health workers as part of the 5, 000 additional health workers announced by President Uhuru Kenyatta in his May address, to add to the 2, 750 health professionals under the county.

The health workers will be of different calibers including doctors, nurses and clinical officers and will be engaged on a three-year contract.