Mike Sonko Plans to Name Major Hospital Unit After Himself

Plans are underway to transform the Pumwani Maternity Hospital and have a newly constructed unit named after Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.

Sonko Pumwani Maternity Hospital Unit, will stand side by side with the old hospital and will be composed of a pediatric ICU, an adult ICU, a HDU, staff quarters, laundry and all necessary facilities.

The unit,  a ten-story, 450 capacity bed will be constructed on the Nyayo Ward area land which belongs to Pumwani Hospital but has been grabbed by private developers.

Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke on phone, Nairobi County Communications Officer Jacob Elkana disclosed that the plan was still at its proposal stages and would be taken to the county assembly for debate before its implementation. 

The hospital on Wednesday received newly installed maternity machines courtesy of the Nairobi City County Government and the USAID, as part of Sonko’s initiative to improve healthcare services at the facility.

According to the hospital’s Head of Clinical services, Dr. Beth Maina, the multi-million shillings machines will be able to offer respiratory support to the newborns who have breathing difficulties.

They will also offer phototherapy for jaundice, which is a condition of yellowness of the bodies of newborns and also offer warmth for the new kids.

“These machines are multi-purpose and they will help us a lot to save the lives of our babies. We hope to use them effectively to help mothers help their sick newborns to recover,” Head of Newborn Unit at the hospital, Oringa Nyakina stated.

For the last 93 years, the hospital has not been offering outpatient services and Sonko has already promised that his Administration will soon open a new outpatient wing at the facility.

Sonko also promised the county health staff who are doing a good job that they would be promoted on merit.

"I'm still going through our health records and then I will reward and promote good health staff. We understand that many of our health officials have been in one position for quite a long time, therefore, its time to promote them on merits before we open the new wing for outpatient services at the hospital," Sonko affirmed.

  • .