Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) 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 Government-funded Sh6 billion facility is one of Kenya’s largest investments in specialized renal and urological care and once operational, will serve Kenya and the wider East African Community by providing advanced diagnosis, treatment and management of kidney and urological diseases, while strengthening research, innovation and postgraduate training.
During the inspection, Duale toured the Centre’s modern facilities, including modular operating theatres, Intensive Care and High Dependency Units, advanced diagnostic laboratories, MRI and radiology services, a biorepository, an integrated command centre and a renal replacement therapy unit equipped with 30 dialysis machines, including dedicated pediatric dialysis services.
While also reviewing the progress on operational readiness, the CS, following Cabinet approval establishing the institution, highlighted that the Ministry is finalizing recruitment, operational systems, budgets, and essential medical supplies to ensure the Centre is fully prepared to begin service delivery.
“The Centre has already contributed to specialist training by supporting 444 healthcare professionals and facilitating 375 kidney transplants through Kenyatta National Hospital,” he stated.
Further, Duale announced that the Centre is expected to significantly expand access to specialized kidney and urological services, reduce referrals abroad, and strengthen Kenya’s contribution to regional healthcare excellence under the East African Community.
Meanwhile, the inspection reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to investing in specialized healthcare, research and a highly skilled workforce to improve health outcomes and advance Universal Health Coverage.
The Cabinet Secretary was accompanied by Director-General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, Head of the Kenya Blood Transfusion and Transplant Services Dr. Martin Sirengo, the Ministry’s Head of Curative and Nursing Services Dr. Andrew Toro as well as the Ministry’s Project Management Dr. Hossan Ajuck.
By Lilian Gichohi
