Hospital on the frontline of caring for Aids patients

 Mbagathi District Hospital is one of the busiest HIV treatment centres serving almost 5,000 clients.

The Agency for International Development (USAID) has been supporting this hospital’s comprehensive care centre through the AIDS, Population and Health Integrated Assistance project since 2008 with medical supplies, drugs, staff training and equipment repair.

It is one of many sites that showcase the strong collaboration between the US and Kenyan governments to bring better health care services to Kenyans said the Administrator of the USAID Dr Rajiv Shah who recently visited the hospital during his six-day tour of Kenya and Sudan.

The tour to centred on the development and progress of President Barrack Obama’s Global Health and Food Security initiatives, while gaining a deeper understanding of US bilateral and regional investments in agriculture, health, democracy and governance.

The hospital is has been a key part of the health system for almost 60 years. It was opened in 1956 as a facility to treat patients with infectious disease.

The facility is one of the major hospitals in Nairobi offering HIV care, support and treatment to children.

The facility has a total of 4,232 clients on treatment and 8,922 clients ever enrolled on HIV care since inception.

By the end of February 2010, a total of 698 children were being followed up at the care centre.

The main services offered at the CCC include Medical consultancy and treatment of opportunistic infections, psychosocial (counselling, social work, defaulter tracing, post test clubs for adults, teens, pre-teens and children), nutrition counselling and food support and pharmacy.

Others are laboratory services - baseline and follow up investigations, X-Ray services for TB diagnosis and health education.