Mama Lucy renal unit expands access to dialysis as 181 sessions recorded in August

Hospital records show patients received an average of 3.3 dialysis sessions during the month, following the opening of the expanded renal unit equipped with 11 functional haemodialysis machines.

The unit is expected to improve access to dialysis for patients who previously had to travel to other specialised facilities for regular treatment.

Dialysis is often required several times a week by patients with kidney failure, making access to treatment close to home important for patients and their families.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the availability of specialised renal services at county hospitals would ease the burden on patients seeking treatment.

“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,” Sakaja said.

The county government said the majority of dialysis patients at the facility are accessing treatment through SHA, helping reduce the cost of long-term renal care.

Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital Chief Executive Officer Dr Fredrick Obwanda said the facility had also strengthened its systems to help patients and their families obtain information on renal services.

Patients seeking treatment can get guidance from the hospital’s Information Desk and the Renal Unit on available services and how to access care.

Besides haemodialysis, the unit provides renal care, patient education and counselling for people living with kidney disease.

The August figures come after the expanded unit had earlier attended to 228 patients shortly after its launch, pointing to continued demand for specialised kidney services at the facility.

The renal unit is part of wider efforts to expand specialised care at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, with the county also preparing to open a 25-bed Accident and Emergency wing and a cancer centre.

For kidney patients, the expansion means more dialysis services are now available within the public health system, reducing the need to travel farther for regular treatment.