Mabati Rolling Mills (MRM), a member of the Safal Group in partnership with the Kiambu COVID-19 Emergency Fund on Tuesday commissioned the construction of an Isolation Unit at the Kiambu COVID-19 Center in Tigoni.
The Isolation Unit, valued at over Ksh25 million is jointly funded by Mabati Rolling Mills and the Kiambu County COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. It is expected to be completed in September 2020.
“We have some of the best technology in Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings which allows us to deliver the Isolation Unit within very tight timelines and at the best quality and value. The need for speed is critical in order to increase the County’s capacity to handle the growing COVID-19 cases.” said Mr. Andrew Heycott, CEO Mabati Rolling Mills.
“The Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings Technology allows us to fabricate the building offsite and then quickly assemble it on site reducing the construction time by at least 50%” added Mr. Heycott.
“The Tigoni COVID-19 Isolation Unit is yet another demonstration of our core values of care for employees, communities and environment. The Safal Group is pleased to be partnering with the Kiambu County Government and the County COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund in delivering this Isolation Unit at this time of great need” noted Anders Lindgren, CEO Safal Group.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Kiambu Governor Dr. James Nyoro thanked the Safal Group for its contribution towards the hospital project adding that it had come at a time when the County was registering increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients.
“Kiambu’s proximity to Nairobi, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya, means that, we continue to receive patients from Nairobi and this is putting a strain on the capacity of our health facilities. The expansion of Kiambu Covid-19 Centre in Tigoni will relieve pressure from other health facilities in the county that are not fully equipped to handle COVID-19 cases” Governor Nyoro said, adding that this donation is a boost to the government’s efforts geared at containing the spread of the novel Coronavirus.
The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected several countries around the world. It has severely affected the health sector that is grappling with huge numbers of people infected with the virus especially in countries that had not fully developed their health infrastructure.
Kenya has over 12,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the numbers are projected to go up putting further strain on hospitals countrywide.
County governments have also appealed for support to expand their hospital bed capacities to mitigate this challenge.
