The newly opened Mama Lucy Kibaki eye Hospital in Nairobi's Umoja II received a record 5,000 patients in a free medical camp last week to demonstrate the high demand for eye care services in the country.
Out of this, some 329 successful surgeries were conducted with a similar number having been able to regain their full eyesight.
The camp was organised in partnership with Beta Charitable Trust and Centre for Health and Education Programs.
It is estimated that there are more than 328,000 blind people in Kenya, with another 750,000 visually impaired.
Cataract, according to Hospital's CEO Alfred Wafula, is the largest cause of avoidable blindness in the country, making up 43 per cent of all cases of blindness.
Speaking during the commissioning of the facility Monday, Wafula noted that its opening marks a historic moment in the country being the first public eye hospital in the country and East Africa at large.
"The establishment of this treatment facility is aimed at alleviating the burden of cataracts on individuals and improving their overall well-being," he said.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakana, his deputy James Muchiri and health CEC Susan Silantoi among several others graced the launch.
The 28-bed facility is set to revolutionize eye care in the country offering a wide range of services which include eye examinations, prescription glasses, treatments, surgical procedures and lens replacements.
It has 58 consultants, seven ophthalmologists, and two eye lens specialists, and will also serve as a training centre for eye care and treatment specialists.
The clinic has two operating theatres with five eye microscopes, multiple consultation rooms, a laboratory, a pharmacy and a lens factory.
The building was constructed by the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Service and its renovation among other installations was done by the new administration for Sh 100 million.
Speaking during the event, Sakaja hailed the management of the hospital noting this is part of the government's Universal Health Coverage plan.
"Eye treatment will now be affordable for everyone in Nairobi, I know people have suffered for a long and this was evident from the medical camp that we had," he stated.
The facility, Sakaja stated, has been made possible by the "unwavering dedication of individuals, organizations, and the national government".
During the event, Sakaja also offered to purchase 1,000 lenses to be offered to the patients visiting the clinic freely.
Wafula at the same time explained that the decision to open the unit was necessitated by the rising number of patients seeking the service at the main facility.
“We used to receive up to 120 people daily with eyesight problems and with the new centre we expect to have more than 250 daily,” he pointed out.
