Nairobi blast: Five victims still at KNH

Five people are still being treated at Kenyatta National Hospital for serious injuries following an explosion on Nairobi’s Moi Avenue.

Hospital chief executive Richard Lesiyampe said two of the patients had 50 per cent and 90 per cent degree burns while another suffered 10 per cent degree burns in the Monday blast.

Victims also sustained fractures during the stampede immediately after the blast.

“One patient is suffering from spinal shock while another has post-stress disorder,” Mr Lesiyampe told a Press conference at the hospital on Tuesday.

Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o, who chaired the Press conference, praised doctors and nurses at the hospital for responding quickly when the 30 patients were rushed to the hospital.

Prof Nyong’o said KNH spent Sh1.2 million in treating the blast victims. “I would like to urge the government to increase funding to KNH to enable it to effectively treat and manage victims of disasters,” Prof Nyong’o said.

He said the hospital required about Sh2 billion additional funding annually for it to deal effectively with cases of disasters.

He said the disasters that have hit the country between September last year and last Monday, had cost the hospital Sh500 million.

The minister said the hospital had treated 371 victims of disasters since last year and 900 accident victims.

One of the serious disasters whose victims were treated at the hospital was the Sinai fuel fire tragedy in Nairobi which occurred on September 12, last year, in which 106 people were rushed to the hospital.

Of the 54 people admitted after the slum inferno, 45 died. Six days after the Sinai tragedy, the hospital admitted 105 victims of gas poisoning which took place at Shauri Moyo Estate in Nairobi.

Prof Nyong’o said victims of grenade explosions which occurred in Nairobi’s Mfangano Lane, OTC, Machakos country bus and at a Ngara church were also taken to the hospital.

Other patients admitted to the hospital were victims of collapsed buildings in Nairobi’s Githurai and Mathare estates.

Mr Lesiyampe said KNH generated Sh1.8 billion in cost-sharing revenue last year and planned to raise Sh2.5 billion this year.

“However, the hospital’s operations budget currently stands at Sh6.5 billion annually,” the chief executive added.