A section of the MTRH multi-speciality hospital being developed at Kiplombe in Eldoret

Construction of the new Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) multispecialty hospital at Kiplombe in Eldoret is now 11 per cent complete, with the first phase expected to cost Sh29 billion.

The first phase will comprise a 2,000-bed hospital built on 45 acres on the outskirts of the city.

The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Health toured the site for an oversight visit and said contractors had assured them that the first phase would be completed by March next year.

Kilgoris MP Julius Sunkuli, who led the team, said construction work by Chinese contractors was progressing well, describing the project as a monumental facility for Africa.

“We will be back in January to follow up on the progress because as Parliament, we made sure all the required money is released,” Sunkuli said.

MTRH chief executive officer Dr Philip Kirwa said the facility would offer a wide range of specialised medical services, including nuclear medicine.

He said the hospital would also serve as an international centre for research and medical tourism, with multispecialty theatres and laboratories, among other facilities.

Kirwa said the hospital was expected to handle conditions for which patients currently travel to India and other countries to seek treatment.

He added that the facility would be equipped to manage diseases such as Ebola.

Kirwa said all 10 suspected Ebola cases at the hospital had tested negative and the patients had been released from isolation.

Most of the patients tested positive for malaria and had since received the relevant treatment, he said.

He added that the hospital had adequate isolation facilities, including a 30-bed intensive care unit that could also be used for isolation.

“We have also received all the necessary material we require for the isolation and treatment of Ebola cases and protection gear for staff,” Kirwa said.

He was speaking during a briefing at the hospital, where the parliamentary committee toured the facilities as part of its oversight mandate.

Kirwa said the hospital was fully prepared to handle Ebola or any other emerging diseases.