Nyeri hospital gets another Cuban nephrologist
Dr Lazaro Francisco Payares Martinez (second left), a Cuban nephrologist, has been posted to Nyeri County Referral Hospital to replace another specialist who returned home after falling ill. PHOTO | IRENE MUGO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Dr Eisy Cabrera was the nephrologist posted to Nyeri County in August last year but returned to Cuba after being diagnosed with the brain tumour.
Dr Lazaro Fransisco Payares Martinez arrived in the county two weeks ago.
- The renal unit at the county hospital handles between 12 and 15 patients on daily.
Nyeri County Referral Hospital has received another Cuban doctor five months after a brain tumour forced the nephrologist to return home.
This comes as a reprieve for patients seeking specialised kidney treatment at the hospital amid a spike of people suffering from non-communicable diseases such as diabetes.
The renal unit at the county hospital handles between 12 and 15 patients on daily.
But Nyeri County Health Chief Officer Newton Wambugu said the departure of Dr Eisy Cabrera did not affect the number of dialysis done at the facility.
“We do not have a backlog though she was the only specialist because the services were being done by a county physician,” he said.
Nonetheless, Mr Wambugu said the facility was congested because of the impact of the universal health coverage launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Dr Lazaro Fransisco Payares Martinez arrived in the county two weeks ago.
“We expect that he will ease the work of physicians to allow them reach more patients and offer support to patients who have renal failure and require machine support,” said Mr Wambugu.
Dr Cabrera was the nephrologist posted to Nyeri County in August last year but returned to Cuba after being diagnosed with the brain tumour.
“She had made proposals to improvement service delivery at the hospital as a specialist and we endeavour to implement them in our strategic plans,” noted Mr Wambugu.
