Kiambu To Set Up A Kidney Research Centre In Ruiru.

Kiambu County has sent abroad several doctors and nephrologists in the Renal departments of Kiambu hospitals for training in Britain and Germany.

This was revealed by Governor William Kabogo in Germany, Governor William Kabogo yesterday who added that the training was part of preparations for the launch of the country’s first kidney centre.

The county, partnership with the Toledo Medical University, aims to provide kidney transplants, dialysis, training and epidemiology and reverse transplant tourism. It plans to build a renal centre with 20 dialysis units in Ruiru town.

Kabogo has already signed up the deal.

“It is our sincere wish to have the dream of having a kidney centre become reality in Ruiru and hopefully our first ever kidney transplant by our own Kiambu doctors, who are training abroad. That is our goal,” Kabogo said.

Currently, the county has only one renal unit at Thika Level 5 Hospital that saves hundreds of patients the struggle of going to Nairobi in search of treatment.

“Though plans are underway to increase the 5 bed capacity to 10, there is a need for more doctors and nephrologists,” added Kabogo.

At the same time, Kabogo has held high level meetings with fluids production companies for a possible set up of a local base for production of liquids and electrolytes for Kiambu hospitals.

The county health department spends sizeable resources on buying these fluids and electrolytes. To save on these costs, the department is exploring the possibility of setting up a plant that can produce and package commonly used fluids and electrolytes.

To this end, the governor led a county health delegation to visit the Executive Vice President of Rommelag Group, Mr. Ralf Bouffkeur in Stuttgart, Germany.

Rommelag are the sole specialists in the blow and fill technology used to pack fluids and electrolytes under sterile conditions.

In his delegation is Dr. Jonah Manjari Mwangi, County Executive Member for Health and his technical team. This trip will also take them to Kings College London and Liverpool Teaching Hospital where the Kiambu doctors are being trained on how to perform kidney transplantation among other specialisations.