How KU hospital App helped home-based Covid-19 patients
The main entrance of Kenyatta University Hospital for Teaching, Referral and Research.
As Kenya's Covid-19 cases surged, not many people knew that Kenyatta University Hospital for Teaching, Referral and Research developed an App that helped contain the pandemic.
The hospital’s Acting Chief executive officer Dr Victor Njom said the App made communication between patients and clinicians easier.
Dr Njom said through the App, patients got a kit that contained basic equipment like a spirometer to check their oxygen levels, gloves, methylated spirit, multivitamins and antibiotics.
"The patients were able to communicate with our clinicians and update them on their recovery progress. Those whose conditions deteriorated were at liberty to come back to the hospital," said Dr Njom.
The CEO said the 650 bed hospital had adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for all staff.
"We never lost a single staff member due to Covid-19,” he said.
However, he admitted that lack of staff was a major constraint as staff had to work long hours.
He said that a Covid-19 dose could cost Sh150,000, making the treatment expensive.
Another advantage the hospital had was a gas plant that operated round the clock to address all emergency cases.
Dr Ezekiel Aluda, head of accident and emergency department said the hospital handled delicate emergency cases.
He observed that the Covid-19 treatment was initially expensive because of many factors including expensive drugs which were administered to selected patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The hospital has 66 ICU beds and hopes to raise them to 90 in future.
"PPEs were not locally available and the critical care unit at ICU was also very expensive as more resources were used by the healthcare workers," said Dr Aluda.
He admitted that Covid-19 was a stiff learning curve and health workers were forced to learn fast.
"We had many critically ill patients coming at the same time and this was a strain on healthcare workers as some of them fell sick while others worked very long hours," said Dr Aluda.
He cited a case where a pregnant woman was admitted with breathing problems.
"I'm glad both the mother and the baby emerged from the hospital in good condition," said Dr Aluda.
He observed that many healthcare workers suffered mental strain as they attended to many patients.
He said that on the positive side of Covid-19, health facilities were improved not only at Kenyatta University Hospital but also countrywide.
"Many ICU facilities were upgraded while healthcare workers received training that they will use in their future engagements with patients," he said.
