Kenya National Hospital (KNH) is eyeing a new revenue stream from 2,500 housing units it plans to construct to accommodate staff at a fee.
“The proposed project aims to develop 2,500 residential units at Kenyatta National Hospital to meet the housing needs of critical staff, with accommodations ranging from studio to four-bedroom apartments. It also provides housing for families and patient caregivers at a fee” the National Treasury said without disclosing the cost of the project planned to be implemented as a public-private partnership through a competitive bidding.
KNH is the country’s largest public hospital presently, with a bed capacity of 2,400 beds, and serves more than 1.7 million Kenyans every year. The hospital does not, however, have accommodation for caregivers, leaving patients and attendants highly inconvenienced.
It also lacks sufficient accommodation for critical staff, many of whom have to commute long distances whenever there are emergency calls.
Caretakers, mainly patients’ family members, are a go-between for medical staff and patients with chronic diseases or requiring delicate care following surgery. They supplements nurses and doctors who don’t have sufficient time or capacity to handle all the requirements of their patients.
For example, the caregivers may fetch stocks such as medicines and sanitary items that are not readily available in hospitals or even alert medical teams whenever their patients encounter complications.
In developed countries, most large hospitals have special accommodation facilities for caregivers and use them to improve patient care services while raising extra revenue from rental charges.
Locally, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral, and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) runs and hospitality centre with a 100-bed capacity.
The KUTRRH hotel offers accommodation to patients and their caregivers who have traveled far for diagnosis and treatment as well as patients originating from far-flung areas and requiring surgery or undergoing extensive treatment sessions. Aga Khan University Hospital also has accommodation facilities for caregivers.
Records show that in the financial year to June 30, 2023, KNH collected revenues amounting to Sh20 billion, albeit four percent less than the expected Sh21 billion, but spent Sh26.6 billion, which is 12 percent more than the initially planned expenditure, hence the rise in debt amidst revenue shortfalls.
