Medics have emphasized the need to train and hire more nurses who care for patients with chronic wounds, particularly those resulting from cancer surgeries and burns.
This comes as statistics show that Kenya faces a serious shortage of nurses in the field, with each nurse handling between 15 and 20 patients daily, compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of one to six patients per day.
The call was made during the second national and regional conference of nurses who handle patients suffering from chronic wounds, held at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH).
Dubbed the Wound, Continence and Enterostomal Therapy Nurses (WCETN) Conference, the event brought together experts in the specialised field of chronic wound treatment from across the country and beyond.
KUTRRH Director of Clinical Services, Dr Anthony Kamau, said Kenya needs to hire more nurses in the specialised field in order to address the shortfall and provide effective treatment to patients.
Noting that the facility is primarily an oncology centre that deals mainly with cancer-related surgeries, Dr Kamau said the role of nurses in supporting patients through their recovery journey cannot be overlooked.
“As an oncology centre, we have many wounds resulting from cancer-related operations, besides receiving patients with serious burns. Because of that, wound care is a very critical service and, as such, we have specialised wound care nurses on a daily basis,” stated Dr Kamau.
He added that after the establishment of the hospital, it became evident that there was a need for specialised nurses to deal specifically with wound care, a crucial service that was initially unavailable.
Dr Kamau, who also read a speech on behalf of KUTRRH Chief Executive Officer Dr Zeinab Gura, pointed out the need for the government to allocate more resources towards the training of specialised nurses and the local manufacture of materials used in wound care, many of which are currently imported.
“We are asking the government to dedicate resources towards the training of more specialised nurses and encourage local production of the materials used in this service because many of them are imported and come at a higher cost,” he said.
Dr Gura, on her part, noted that the hospital has more than 800 nurses, most of whom care for patients suffering from wounds resulting from operations to remove cancerous tumours.
The CEO further stressed the need for collaboration among health institutions and relevant government agencies to support the growth of professionals in the specialised field.
According to the Chairperson of the WCETN Conference, Margaret Mungai, who is also the Deputy Director of Nursing Services at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, there is an urgent need to train and hire more nurses in these specialised areas.
She noted that while the WHO recommends that each nurse should care for one to six patients daily, in Kenya the number ranges between 15 and 20, highlighting a serious staffing gap.
“The WHO report shows there is a serious shortage of nurses, particularly specialised ones. Hence the need to hire and train more,” Mungai added.
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Justin Kinoti, a senior nurse at the hospital, urged patients not to shy away from seeking treatment for chronic wounds, regardless of the stage of the condition or how long they have lived with it.
By John Kamau
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