Residents of Roysambu in Nairobi can now easily access medical and dialysis services after the Aga Khan University Hospital opened a new centre at the Jewel Complex building.
Minet Kenya Managing Director Sammy Muthui was the chief guest at the opening ceremony held on Monday.
Speaking at the event, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Shawn Bolouki said they are committed to continue playing a leading role in the fight against non-communicable diseases.
“Aga Khan University Hospital continues to be at the forefront in the fight against non-communicable diseases in the region,” said Mr Bolouki.
He said statistics indicate that four million Kenyans are suffering from one form of kidney disease.
He added that there is need for the decentralisation of dialysis services to allow easy access for residents whose homes are far from the major hospitals.
“Official data shows that about four million Kenyans have some form of kidney ailment. Even with this increasing number of patients, access to dialysis services is still concentrated in major hospitals with limited access for other patients. There is therefore the need to decentralise the service to the community level,” said Mr Bolouki.
He said the Aga Khan Hospital has established 47 outpatient centres in the region, with Roysambu being the first to offer renal dialysis.
“We are confident that this centre will have an impact in enabling access to dialysis services in Nairobi and its environs,” said Mr Bolouki.
Last year the Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) awarded the hospital global recognition for the excellent services provided by its laboratory.
The award marked an important milestone for the hospital, which was also the first to be awarded the prestigious ISO 9001:2000 (now ISO 9001:2008) certification by the International Organisation for Standardisation.
The hospital also became the first in the region to install a PET Scan, which patients with National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) cover can access.
Mr Bolouki reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to providing quality services, including healthcare and medical education.
“As the hospital celebrates 60 years of taking care of families in East Africa, it continues to affirm its commitment to achieving its vision as the leading teaching and tertiary healthcare institution in sub-Saharan Africa,” he said.
On his part, Mr Muthui lauded the hospital’s outpatient expansion plans and urged other healthcare insurers to consider developing and financing wellness programmes to boost health standards.
He indicated that Minet is currently in the process of developing a payment plan for insurance cover that will help contributors get treatment for non-communicable diseases.
“Currently Minet Kenya Health Insurance is working on developing plans to finance the treatment of chronic and non-communicable diseases in the country,” said Mr Muthui.
Out of approximately 45 million Kenyans, only nine million, or 20 percent, have some form of medical insurance.
Of those insured, 88 percent are covered by NHIF.
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