The University of Nairobi Faculty of Health Sciences has a long-standing and fruitful partnership with Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), which is not only the largest referral hospital in Kenya but also a leading teaching hospital in the country. This partnership plays a vital role in the training of healthcare professionals at the Faculty by providing an excellent learning environment for medical trainees.
The partnership enables medical trainees at the Faculty (which is hosted at KNH) to learn from the best experts at the facility, who have extensive experience in offering quality healthcare services to patients. As a result, the trainees gain practical skills and knowledge that are essential for their future careers as healthcare professionals.
Besides, the partnership between UoN and KNH has been of immense benefit in terms of research.
This is in line with the Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta National Hospital and the Ministry of Medical Services regarding the training of doctors.
According to the MoU, KNH was established for a number of purposes. Some are listed below;
- To provide facilities for for medical education for the University of Nairobi and for research either directly of or through other co-operating health institutions
- To provide facilities for education and training in nursing and other health allied professions
For this reason researchers from both institutions collaborate to carry out cutting-edge health research at the facility, which has a significant impact on medical training and healthcare provision in the country. The research findings are also crucial in informing policy decisions that impact the health sector in Kenya.
Overall, the partnership between the University of Nairobi Faculty of Health Sciences and Kenyatta National Hospital is a crucial pillar in medical training and research in the country, and it continues to have a positive impact on healthcare provision and policy decisions in Kenya.
UoN and KNH success stories
The two institutions have achieved key milestones thanks to the long standing partnership.
In November 2016, a team of experts drawn from the Kenyatta National Hospital and University of Nairobi successfully separated two-year-old Siamese twins in a 23-hour surgery.
In February 2018, doctors from UoN and KNH successfully reattached the severed hand of 17-year-old boy that was accidentally chopped off while cleaning a chaff cutter.
In 2019, UoN and KNH doctors reattached and constructed the penis of a boy which had been chopped off in a 7-hour surgery.
