Nairobi Hospital Rolls Out Covid-19 Tests at a Cost of Ksh10,000

The Nairobi Hospital is now among facilities offering Covid-19 tests services with a single test going at 10,000 shillings.

The hospital says it has started conducting the Covid-19 tests known as PCR SARS COV-2 after consulting the Center for Disease Control in Africa (CDC) and getting approval from the Ministry of Health.

According to the Nairobi Hospital Chief Executive Office Allan Pamba, the main hospital can conduct 80 tests on a manual platform per day.

The testing capacity is expected to increase to 900 per day if the hospital acquires high throughput equipment that will enable automation of the testing process.

“The additional testing capacity will allow more cases to be identified and treated quickly to help manage this pandemic,” said the Nairobi Hospital CEO adding that the results of the tests will be available within six to 24 hours.

The testing will be conducted at the Accident and Emergency center where a client will have to see a trained doctor. The doctor will inquire about the history of the client and will later prescribe testing if necessary.

The client will be allowed to go home after samples have been taken with the results being sent to their emails.

If the client is found positive for the Covid-19, Nairobi Hospital will inform the Ministry of Health to do a proper follow-up and conduct them at a quarantine facility of choice.

For payments, the hospital advised their clients to ensure they consult their medical insurers and confirm that the covid-19 tests are covered within their policies.

The Hospital also announced the reopening of six of its satellite clinics that have been closed for a while.

CEO Pamba said they considered reopening the six centers following consultations by the management and public demand.

The Covid-19 infection control protocols have now been embedded at the hospital to help to reduce transmission risks within the hospital and in public areas.