KU Hospital operationalizes its medical innovation and accelerator hub

Researchers at Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital have come up with a calorie tracking system to fight lifestyle diseases.

The new system is part of fresh inventions that have been created at Kenyatta University’s innovation hub.

ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru said the hub is poised to offer disruptive innovations in sports and healthcare services.

“The innovations here are great.The calorie-tracking systems and other new equipment to do with management of oxygen or gas within hospitals will drastically improve detection of lifestyle diseases,” Mucheru said during a tour of the hub on Friday.

The CS said the hub is supportive of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four agenda which is hinged on accelerating innovation and entrepreneurship.

Mucheru said these are locally assembled technologies which will not only increase access to health services, but will also reduce the cost of healthcare provision.

Export globally

“We now have our foot firmly down. We will grow our technology and export it globally,” he said.

Olive Mugenda, the Hospital board chair said the innovators will get the right percentage of royalties accrued from the sale of their machines.

“This will be so that they can improve the quality of their lives and families,” Prof Mugenda said.

Mugenda noted that the biggest challenge with existing innovation centres is lack of space to keep working on inventions for a long duration.