The Private sector should held Embakasi Fire Victims- Nairobi Hospital C.E.O

Published: Feb.,8,2024 12:18 PM(EAT)

Private sector players have been urged to extend emergency and medical support to hundreds of persons affected by the recent gas blast in Nairobi’s Embakasi area.

The Nairobi Hospital CEO James Nyamongo termed the situation as dire noting it is time for private sector players to come forward and lend a hand to survivors who are still in pain.

Nyamongo was speaking during the close of the Nairobi Hospital’s 3-day free medical care and support to individuals and families affected by the Embakasi gas blast.

A team of specialists from the facility had pitched a tent at the Embakasi Health Centre grounds to attend to Kenyans who were hurt in the gas explosion.

The team comprised doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and counsellors.

They offered doctors’ consultations, wound dressing, specialized wound care and related medication, physiotherapy, assessments and referrals for cases that needed further checks such as x-rays, among others.

“As the Nairobi Hospital, we have been on the ground for the last three days offering free medical and emergency support. The situation on the ground is dire and I urge other private sector players to come forward and lend a hand to our brothers and sisters who are in pain,” Nyamongo said.

“When an emergency strikes, it is everyone’s business to see to it that our people are assisted. The collaboration between public and private sector players is best seen during a crisis,” he added.

The Nairobi Hospital’s Accidents and Emergency manager David Abaya confirmed that over 500 people showed up over the 3 days seeking different kinds of assistance.

“Some of the people who came for assistance could not walk to this place because of the injuries sustained last week. We had to send our ambulances to fetch them from their homes and Embakasi Social Hall where most of those displaced are temporarily housed,” Dr Abaya said.

Mercy Gakendu’s (not her real name) 3-year-old baby’s chest has been aching since the blast but has not been attended to until the Nairobi Hospital medical experts arrived on the scene.

“I sustained a serious injury on my forehead but have not been able to get admission to a health facility. I am very grateful to the Nairobi Hospital doctors for treating me for free,” Mike Nzau (not his real name) told journalists.