Here’s Why President Uhuru Kenyatta Commissioned Five New Hospitals At Night

Yesterday, July 6, 2021, President Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned five new hospitals within Nairobi at night.

The project is part of the 24 health facilities being constructed by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) in a bid to decongest Kenyatta National Hospital as well as meet the President’s big four agenda on health.

Accompanied by the NMS Director-General Mohammed Badi and other senior government officials, the Head of State commissioned two level 2 hospitals at Gichagi in Kangemi and Gatina in Kawangware and three level 3 hospitals in Mukuru Kwa Rueben, Tassia Kwa Ndege and Our Lady of Nazareth in Mukuru Kwa Njenga.

Read: President Uhuru Commissions Construction Of New Hospitals In Nairobi’s Slum Area

Addressing the press, the country’s First in Command said he opted to commission the hospitals at night in a bid to adhere to the Covid-19 containment protocols.

For instance, Uhuru said had the project been commissioned during the day, the social distancing rule would not have been heeded as netizens would have been crowded.

“We went at night because we wanted to ensure that we were observing Covid-19 protocols. As you have seen for yourselves, it would have been impossible to go and do what we did today, during the day because of the number of people who would have been out there. It would have been very difficult for us to do the job we wanted to do and at the same time observe Covid protocols that the government has put in place,” he said.

Read Also: Kenyatta National Hospital to Halt Walk-in Patient Services from July, NMS Confirms

The commissioned hospitals are to operate on 24-hour service to allow netizens access to health services at night. This, he noted, was because the majority of hospitals within the city only offer services from 8 am till 6 pm hence denying residents night services.

“So we decided it was important that these hospitals that we are building operate on a 24 hours’ basis. This is what we also wanted to see whether it was possible both on accessibility point of view and staffing point of view,” the President added.

Consequently, he stated that out of the 24 hospitals that were to be constructed by the NMS, 19 are already completed and functioning.

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