This archive report was first published on 7 November 2019.
Published on November 7, 2019, a proposal by the Kenyatta National Hospital to build a new private hospital alongside the public one has sparked mixed reactions.
The hospital's board claims the project is meant to boost revenue, with additional funds going towards enhancing services at the existing hospital. However, this raises several pertinent questions.
Could this be a tacit admission that the public hospital model is no longer viable? Should Kenyatta, a hospital that has earned accolades over the years as a medical institution, not be consolidating its position instead of setting up competition against itself in the same location?
KNH board chairman Nicholas Gumbo says the proposed project will be fully funded by a private investor in the private-public partnership model. However, this has raised concerns about the real motives behind the project and the potential risks involved.
Some doctors, key stakeholders in the hospital, are opposed to the idea of setting up a parallel private hospital at Kenyatta, citing concerns about the feasibility of the project and the potential impact on the public hospital's services.
It is worth noting that the hospital already has a functional private wing, which could be revamped instead of building a new private hospital. This would likely be a more cost-effective option.
