KNH burns and paediatric centre delayed after budget cut

Thousands of children and burn patients will have to wait longer for specialised treatment after the government reduced funding for the Burns Management and Paediatric Emergency Centre at Kenyatta National Hospital by Sh900 million.

The Treasury has allocated Sh1.2 billion for the project in the upcoming financial year, down from Sh2.1 billion.

Construction of the 214-bed facility began over five years ago and was first set for completion in 2018, later revised to 2023. The centre is designed to handle severe burns and offer advanced paediatric care, easing pressure on KNH’s overwhelmed infrastructure.

Once finished, the burns centre will have 82 general ward beds, 14 intensive care beds and six high dependency beds.

The paediatric unit will include 82 general beds, 24 intensive care beds and six high dependency beds.

The delay now threatens plans to improve access to specialist care under the Universal Health Coverage agenda.

The facility was expected to reduce the need for costly overseas treatment and cut long waiting times at public hospitals.

KNH’s paediatric department currently receives between 60,000 and 80,000 children every year.

It serves emergency, inpatient and outpatient cases for children aged 0 to 12 years, but space and equipment have struggled to keep up with demand.

In her latest audit report for the year ending June 2024, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu flagged the stalled construction and raised concerns over contract mismanagement.

She warned that the delays had led to interest charges that could have been avoided and said the funds lost could have helped buy medical equipment, hire staff or improve other services.