Kenya State Hospital Supported by KOICA Designated as 'COVID-19 Response Hospital'

Palestine, Nepal, and Now Kenya: KOICA-Supported Medical Facility Contributes to COVID-19 Response
Kajiado County, Where Hospital Is Located, Adjacent to Capital, Expected to Play Key Role in Kenya's COVID-19 Response

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Hospitals built or expanded in developing countries through KOICA's development cooperation projects are being consecutively designated as COVID-19 response base hospitals.

KOICA announced on the 6th that Kitengela County Hospital in Kajiado County, Kenya, which has been supported for hospital expansion and facility improvements, has been designated and is operating as a COVID-19 response hospital by the Kenyan government. Kajiado County is located 50 km south of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

This is the third time that a hospital built or expanded through KOICA projects has been designated as a COVID-19 base response hospital by a developing country government, following Palestine and Nepal. In Palestine, the Palestine National Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Treatment Center established last year was designated as a COVID-19 patient treatment hospital, and in Nepal, a temporary ward for isolating suspected COVID-19 patients was installed at the Nuwakot District Hospital, which is nearing completion.

In Kenya, since the first confirmed COVID-19 case on the 13th of last month, as of the 3rd, there are 122 confirmed cases (4 deaths) and 2,050 people under quarantine. To respond to COVID-19, the Kenyan government has banned all international flights except cargo transport since the 25th of last month and is enforcing measures such as a nighttime curfew.

Accordingly, the Kenyan government held a National Security Policy Council meeting and implemented a measure to designate level 4 to 6 hospitals located in each county as COVID-19 response hospitals. As a result, Kitengela County Hospital, supported by KOICA, was designated as a COVID-19 response hospital and is being used as a quarantine facility for suspected COVID-19 patients in the region.

Kitengela County Hospital opened as a level 1 clinic in 1996, but at the request of the Kenyan government, KOICA carried out a hospital building construction and medical equipment support project* from 2008 to 2010, upgrading it to a level 2 health center. Subsequently, maintenance and additional medical equipment support projects were conducted for aftercare, resulting in its status being elevated to a level 4 general hospital in 2017.

At the same time, KOICA also implemented projects to strengthen the capacity of healthcare personnel in Kajiado County and to enhance health awareness among local residents through mobile clinics. Based on these project outcomes, Kitengela County Hospital has been serving as a regional base hospital capable of performing cesarean sections. Currently, through public-private partnership projects and the dispatch of global cooperation doctors, KOICA maintains a close relationship with the Kenyan Ministry of Health and continuously monitors the project.

Esther Somoire, an official from the Kajiado County government, said, “We thank KOICA for carrying out high-quality healthcare projects so that the Kenyan government can respond immediately in infectious disease crisis situations. The Kenyan government has been preparing facilities and medical personnel to respond quickly to COVID-19, and we hope to overcome this crisis together with Korea, which has high infectious disease response capabilities.”

Shin So-yeon, head of KOICA Kenya Office, said, “We are very honored that Kitengela County Hospital supported by KOICA has been designated as a hospital for COVID-19 response. Especially, since Kajiado County, where the hospital is located, is adjacent to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, its role in responding to COVID-19 is expected to be very important.”