Patients at the National Spinal Injury and Referral Hospital (NSIRH) will benefit from improved healthcare following a donation of rehabilitation therapy equipment by the Kenya Reinsurance Corporation (Kenya Re). This is in line with the Government agenda on Universal Health Coverage.
The donation consists of 64 specialised items, ranging from heavy duty suction machines for use in surgery, ripple mattresses for high-risk patients, wound VAC machines, a Cervical Spine Mayfield Holder and wheelchairs for both quadriplegic and paraplegic patients. The equipment will enhance the hospital’s ability to cope with the increasing number of spinal injury patients.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Dr Hillary Maina Wachinga, the Group Managing Director for Kenya Re said: “Kenya Re is happy to support the government’s agenda on Universal Health Coverage. The Corporation knows that this partnership will go a long way to making healthcare for spinal injury patients more accessible and affordable. Our efforts provide the much-needed support for rehabilitation therapy in the country and are in line with Kenya Re’s commitment to supporting critical healthcare initiatives that positively impact the community.”
The equipment will help the hospital meet its service demands in the areas of Curative Spinal Services, Rehabilitation Services and Promotive and Preventive Spine Care.
Dr. Kibet Shikuku, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Spinal Injury and Referral Hospital said: “Spinal injury cases reported annually have increased steadily every year from 250 to 700 in the last 10 years, with several others not attended to at the hospital. Our facility, which currently has a bed capacity of 35 patients, is not equipped to handle this influx of patients, which has translated to long waiting periods for patients before they can secure admission. This donation will improve outcomes for patients and will enable us to provide specialised services to others who seek for help in other countries.”
Other than the support to NSIRH, Kenya Re has provided support to persons with disability in Kenya through the Niko Fiti campaign, where over 12,800 people have benefited from mobility and assistive devices so far since inception of the programme in 2011. The Corporation has also partnered with KISE to equip a state-of-the-art Psycho-Education Assessment and Rehabilitation centre which is one of the best in East and Central Africa.