Kenya’s capacity to deal with cardiovascular diseases has been enhanced with the opening of a 176-bed facility dedicated to specialized heart and lung care in Kenya and the region while improving access to world-class cardiothoracic services.
H.E. President Dr. William Ruto officially opened the Ksh4.5 billion state-of-the-art AGC Tenwek Cardiothoracic Centre (CTC) in Bomet County, which is expected to boost Tenwek Hospital’s capacity to perform open heart surgeries from the current 300 to at least 3000 procedures annually.
President Ruto expressed confidence that the new cardiothoracic centre will enhance Kenya’s capacity to deal with cardiovascular diseases and reduce the number of Kenyans seeking expensive treatment abroad.
“Today, twenty-five percent (25%) of hospital admissions in Kenya are due to cardiovascular diseases. This puts enormous pressure on our health infrastructure and has significant economic implications. This facility points to our development partners’ confidence in Kenya in general and Kenya’s healthcare system in particular. Kenya is ripe for innovative healthcare investments, including those that employ AI to reach patients in remote areas.,” said President Ruto.
AGC Tenwek Cardiothoracic Centre will provide comprehensive treatment for complex heart and lung conditions, including life-saving surgeries such as open-heart procedures, valve repairs, coronary artery bypass grafting, and advanced pulmonary interventions.
Health Cabinet Secretary Dr. Debra Barasa said the completion of the AGC Cardiothoracic Centre is testament to the investment opportunities available in Kenya’s medical sector and the confidence in its human capacity to provide specialized care.
“The completion of this centre here at AGC Tenwek Hospital speaks to the love Friends of Tenwek have for Kenya and its people. More importantly, it is a powerful message to local and international investors as well as to our development partners that we are open for partnerships, especially in the health sector,” said Dr. Barasa.
AGC Tenwek Hospital Acting CEO Benjamin Siele emphasized the economic and social impact the new facility will have within Kenya’s south rift region and across the medical sector, with medical tourism expected to be a major beneficiary.
“The impact of this CTC extends beyond healthcare. Apart from medical tourism, it will create jobs for over 300 Kenyans, and indirectly create employment for residents in this region. As already mentioned, Tenwek prides itself in building capacity amongst local health workers. CTC will enhance this capacity by exposing future generations of healthcare professionals to new ways of managing heart disease,” said Mr. Siele.
The establishment of the CTC came against the backdrop of permanent shifts in local and global healthcare, most notably the Covid-19 pandemic. Though the pandemic exposed the challenges in the healthcare sector, it presented an opportunity to healthcare workers to adapt and capitalize on emerging trends, evolving patient behaviour and evolving patient technology,” he added.
