Kiambu County opens Ksh.25M isolation unit in Tigoni

Kiambu Governor James Nyoro officially opened the county’s Covid-19 isolation center in Tigoni on Friday.

The facility with a capacity of 104 beds is equipped with wards, emergency centre, ablution blocks and changing facilities for doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers.

“Kiambu’s proximity to Nairobi, the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic in Kenya, means that, we continue to receive patients from Nairobi and this is putting a strain on the capacity of our health facilities. The expansion of Kiambu Covid-19 Centre in Tigoni will relieve pressure from other health facilities in the county that are not fully equipped to handle Covid-19 cases,” Dr. Nyoro said.

He noted that the facility will ease pressure on the Kiambu level 5 hospital that has been overwhelmed by patients due to the Covid 19 pandemic by providing the necessary space for isolation and treatment.

The Ksh. 25million unit was jointly funded by Mabati Rolling Mills a Member of Safal Group in partnership with Kiambu County and the Kiambu County Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund.

Construction of the facility was commissioned in the beginning of July and completed in 10 weeks.

Governor Nyoro lauded Mabati Rolling Mills (MRM) for their contribution towards Covid 19 emergency response saying the use of MRM’s Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings (PEB) technology hastened the construction process.

The technology allows one to fabricate the building offsite and then quickly assemble it on site reducing the construction time by at least 50%.

“SafBuild enabled us to deliver the Isolation Unit within very tight timelines and at the best quality and value. The need for speed was critical in order to increase the county’s capacity to handle the growing Covid-19 cases and we are glad we delivered within the set timeline,” said Mr. Anders Lindgren, CEO Safal Group.

“One of our focus areas in corporate social investment is health and this partnership with Kiambu County Government and the County Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund, couldn’t come at a better time. We all have a responsibility to cub the virus that is Covid 19. The Tigoni Covid-19 Isolation Unit is yet another demonstration of the care and responsibility for our communities and environment in line with our values,” he added.

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected several countries around the world.

It has severely affected the health sector that is grappling with huge numbers of people infected with the virus especially in countries that had not fully developed their health infrastructure.

On Friday, Kenya reported 1,109 cases raising the country’s caseload to 60,704.

Currently, 1,300 patients are admitted to various hospitals countrywide while 5,439 are receiving care at home.

The Health Ministry has warned that the numbers are steadily rising, putting further strain on hospitals countrywide.