KU partners with General Electric to build cancer centre

Kenneth ILoka shows participants and delegates the ultra-modern facilities of the soon-to-be-opened Kenyatta University Hospital. The university, in partnership with General Electric, will build a complete molecular imaging centre. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • The university’s role in healthcare education includes programmes for health professionals.
  • Prof Wainaina emphasised on the need to prioritise training for health professionals to effectively employ digital tools in their work.
  • The VC added that KU acknowledges the fundamental role of technology in all sectors.

Kenyatta University (KU) has partnered with General Electric (GE) to build a complete molecular imaging centre (MIC), the third such centre in Africa after the ones in South Africa and Egypt.

Speaking during the official launch, Vice-Chancellor Paul Wainaina said the hospital will provide care in all the requisite areas of cancer prevention, screening, early and accurate diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and supportive care.

The university’s role in healthcare education includes programmes for health professionals and the soon-to-be-opened referral hospital which comes complete with a cancer treatment centre.

Prof Wainaina made the remarks Tuesday during a training programme on international health informatics at the university.

DIGITAL TOOLS

He emphasised on the need to prioritise training for health professionals to effectively employ digital tools in their work.

The VC added that KU acknowledges the fundamental role of technology in all sectors.

Some of the skills taught in the programme include how to use technology to link patients in remote areas with health specialists in well-endowed cities and countries, thereby providing high quality and affordable care.

The programme also lays emphasis on the need to integrate data management systems that are currently disjointed, thereby denying health managers and policy makers comprehensive datasets to use for planning health programmes.

Health informatics is the science of health information which is greatly enhanced by the information communication technologies.

The programme is tailored to meet the skills gap challenge for low-and middle-income countries and attracted participants from South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Switzerland.