Mama Lucy Hospital renal unit./HANDOUT
Latest hospital records for August show that the renal unit at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital conducted 181 dialysis sessions, with each patient receiving an average of 3.3 dialysis sessions during the month following the opening of the new renal unit.
The figures highlight the growing demand for specialised kidney care at the county facility, with residents increasingly able to access life-saving dialysis services closer to home.
The expanded renal unit was commissioned by Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson as part of his administration’s efforts to strengthen specialised healthcare and bring essential medical services closer to residents.
The facility has 11 functional haemodialysis machines, enabling it to provide regular and continuous treatment to patients living with kidney disease.
The August figures come after an earlier milestone in which the expanded unit had attended to 228 patients shortly after its launch, highlighting the rapid uptake of the service among Nairobi residents.
Mama Lucy Hospital renal unit./HANDOUT
The growing number of patients accessing the unit is significant because dialysis is a long-term treatment for many people with kidney failure, often requiring several sessions every week. Having the service available at a county hospital reduces the distance patients have to travel while easing pressure on other specialised facilities.
“This is a great milestone. Such specialised services can now be accessed in our county hospitals. Many patients have struggled to obtain dialysis services, but they are now available within our facilities, and the Social Health Authority (SHA) is also covering the cost of treatment for many of them,” Governor Sakaja said.
The availability of SHA support has also provided relief to patients and families facing the high cost of long-term renal treatment, with the majority of dialysis patients accessing care under the national health insurance programme.
Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital Chief Executive Officer Dr Fredrick Obwanda said the facility had strengthened its systems to ensure patients and their families can easily obtain information on renal services.
Information on accessing treatment is readily available at the Hospital Information Desk and the Renal Unit, where patients can receive guidance on available services and how to access care.
The renal unit provides haemodialysis alongside specialised renal care, patient education and counselling, creating a more comprehensive support system for people living with kidney disease.
Governor Sakaja has positioned the investment as part of a wider transformation of Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital into a multi-speciality facility capable of handling increasingly complex medical needs.
The county is also preparing to open an expanded 25-bed Accident and Emergency wing, while a cancer centre is expected to be launched in the coming months.
The planned developments are expected to further expand the range of specialised services available at Mama Lucy and strengthen the hospital’s position as a major referral and multi-speciality facility serving residents of Nairobi and neighbouring counties.
For kidney patients, however, the renal unit’s latest figures already point to a significant shift: specialised dialysis care is increasingly becoming available within the public health system, closer to the communities that need it most.