This archive report was first published on 24 November 2021.
Nairobi West Hospital has marked a significant milestone in its emergency services by unveiling a state-of-the-art helipad for medical emergency evacuations. The 24-hour customized helipad, unveiled on November 24, 2021, aims to cater to the growing demands for medical emergency services in the East Africa Region.
The helipad, perched atop the hospital's 17-story modern medical facility, is designed to offer patients speedy access to crucial care in cases such as trauma, critical care, surgery, high-risk birthing, and premature newborn critical care. It has a capacity to hold up to 8 tonnes and meets Joint Commission International Standards.
According to Dr. Andrew Gachie, the Chief Medical Officer at Nairobi West Hospital, the helipad will enable the hospital to promptly respond to emergencies and reduce the time incurred while transferring critically ill patients. This, he noted, will make a significant difference in the lives of patients.
The hospital has also developed a trauma bay below the helipad to handle critical events during emergency evacuations. Nairobi West Hospital, founded in 1980, has expanded into a center providing general and specialized services to clients locally and in the East African region.
The introduction of the helipad is expected to boost the hospital's forays into medical tourism, particularly in the fields of cancer management, accident and emergency, and transplants. The hospital is also set to kick off programs offering packages of cancer treatments, including bone marrow transplants, through partnerships with Turkish and Indian firms.
Notably, Nairobi West Hospital has also invested in state-of-the-art laboratories, a 78-bed ICU facility, and six operational theaters that will see the start of organ transplants in the next two months.
