Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital (KUTRH) is in the process of establishing 30 new ICU beds at the facility following an upsurge in Covid-19 cases in the country over the past few weeks.
Hospital Board Chair Prof Olive Mugenda said the 32 ICU beds were overstretched beyond the full capacity hence the urgency to install more machines to cope with the rising cases of patients in need of intensive care services.
Speaking after inspecting the infrastructural preparedness of Gatundu Level 5 hospital that they may soon take over in management, Mugenda said the new 30 beds will be available in three days time.
She said the demand for ICU beds in the facility has increased since the third wave hit the country this month, forcing them to add more.
“In the next three days, we will have 30 new ICU beds to help the many Covid-19 patients who have been visiting the facility. We don’t want needy cases to be sent away due to lack of admissions. As of now, all the 32 ICU beds that the hospital has are full and we are not admitting anyone in the ICU,” she said.
The hospital is regarded among the few better placed to handle Covid-19 cases in the country and is highly regarded by patients.
Mugenda was accompanied by Kiambu Governor James Nyoro and other health officials from the county.
On the County’s Covid-19 preparedness, Nyoro said out of the 1,000 isolation beds that they have, only a handful have patients.
He cited the County’s Covid-19 isolation center in Tigoni in Limuru Sub County saying out of the over 100 isolation beds, only 40 are occupied out of which 30 are on oxygen.
He added that out of the 32 ICU beds that the county has, only a few are occupied and that health workers are on high alert should there be an upsurge in Covid-19 cases so as to avoid being overstretched.
“Procuring and piping bulk oxygen to our Covid-19 facilities has helped many patients recover and they have a testimony to it,” said Nyoro.
Through the agreement, KUTRH will manage the Gatundu Level Five, improve its infrastructure, and medical personnel, and its patients will be referred to KUTRH for specialized treatment when need arises.
“Gatundu Level 5 will be an annex of KUTRH. We shall strive to improve its infrastructure to meet the required standards. Already, we have deployed 11 nurses and seven doctors at the facility. We shall also collaborate in capacity building of the staff as well as in areas of research,” said Prof. Mugenda.
By Muoki Charles
