A survey by a team of doctors, as seen by Daily Nation, has revealed that most of the patients taken to the Intensive Care Unit die.
The study, which was conducted at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital revealed that 54 per cent of patients who are taken for treatment in ICU pass on.
The team, which was led by Mr Protus Kituyi, the chairman of the Department of Anesthesia at the Moi University School of Medicine and Wangari Waweru-Siika, who is the head of the MTRH intensive care unit, highlighted that the health sector still faces endless challenges as far as health service provision is concerned.
The study also said that the situation is not different in various hospitals across the nation. Although the ICU facility at the Hospital has undergone improvements over time, the study noted that medical practitioners are still not in a position to save more lives.
The report recommends for the increase in the bed capacity in ICU units across the nation for better provision of health services. It, however, noted that there is more to be done more than just equipping these areas.
According to a lecturer at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Dr Benjamin Wachira the endless challenges experienced in these facilities contributed to the death of patients in one way or another.
He claimed that some of the experts in the ICU areas are not trained, which he claims compromises with the quality of services patients receive at the end of the day.
“An ICU is more than a bed, a ventilator and a monitor. You need a room that is well equipped and has infection control,” he argues, as quoted by Daily Nation.