ACCIDENT & EMERGENCY

The Nairobi Hospital has a modern,
well-equipped and staffed Accident & Emergency Centre that handles
both emergencies and primary care cases. The centre has its own
Laboratory and X-ray to facilitate quick evaluation of the patients.
Our goal is to keep the maximum duration of stay, for any patient in
this department, to less than an hour.

Upon arrival, patients are seen by a
triage nurse who determines the order in which they need attention.
He/she takes brief information about the patient’s illness or
injury.

In emergency situations,
patients are not seen on a “first come first served” basis.
Rather, they are seen in order of the seriousness of their problems.
For example, heart attack patients and accident victims are usually
seen before patients with cuts or broken bones. That is why some
patients who arrive after you may be attended to before you. They are
not more important than you, but their needs are simply more urgent.

Check In
After seeing the triage nurse, the
patient will need to speak with staff at the registration desk, give
their name, address and payment information.

Treatment Area
A staff member of the emergency centre
then escorts the patient to a treatment room. Family members are
allowed to accompany him/her. However, the treatment areas are small,
so we encourage only one visitor at a time. If you are called into a
treatment area, we ask that you stay there. It provides greater
privacy for patients if there are no visitors in the halls. Also the
staff can work more efficiently if the halls are clear.

Food and Beverage
Once patients are in the hospital, we
request them to refrain form eating or drinking until they have
consulted with a staff member. A full stomach can delay some treatment
or testing procedures.

Emergency Care Team
The Accident and Emergency
Centre is staffed by qualified professionals. All emergency staff
nurses are registered and enrolled nurses and are occasionally
assisted by nurse trainees. There is a nurse-shift in charge on duty
at all times. If we forget to introduce ourselves, please remind us.
If you have concerns or problems with your care while in the emergency
centre, please speak to your primary nurse or shift in charge.

Waiting

There are a variety of
reasons why patients may have to wait. Other patients may be treated
ahead of you due to the severity of their conditions; specialised
treatment rooms may not be immediately available or you may need a
test or procedure that takes time.

Laboratory results, for example,
take approximately one to two hours to obtain. X-ray results take
approximately 45 to 90 minutes. The X-ray’s are read initially by an
emergency or private physician and re-read by a radiologist within 24
hours. We know waiting is difficult and we will do our best to
minimize your waiting time. Meanwhile, we greatly appreciate your
patience and co-operation.

If you are in pain, tell your nurse.
We will do our best to relieve it. However, giving pain
medication for certain conditions may be prohibited, at least
initially, because diagnosis and treatment are more difficult if
symptoms are masked by drugs.

If you have taken or are supposed to
take any medication, be sure to tell the emergency nurse or physician
before your next scheduled dose.

Check Out
Checking out of the
emergency centre takes a few minutes. First, the physician or nurse
will tell you how to care for yourself and recognize problems or
symptoms. Please feel free to ask any questions.

Hospital Admission
If you are admitted to the hospital, we will move you to your assigned room as quickly as
possible. However, the process may be slow if:

<::marker>your physician is busy with other patients;

<::marker>a bed is not available at the time of your admission;

<::marker>staff members who would normally take you to your room are assisting others.

However, delays will be advised and we
will do our best to move you as soon as possible.

Follow Up
Your doctor may want to refer you to
one of the consultant clinics for follow up with your medical care. It
is very important that you continue with your care in this manner. The
records of our visit to the emergency centre will be made available to
the outpatient clinic consultant. Telephone numbers of the appropriate
clinic will be given to you before you leave the emergency centre.

Your Responsibilities

1. <::marker>Weare eager to help, but we need your assistance. So help us help you.
   Make sure the information you give to us is as complete and accurate
   as possible. If you have any question or if you start to experience
   any medical problems after leaving the centre, call us on 722160 or
   return to hospital immediately. We are here to take care for your
   emergencies 24 hours a day.

2. <::marker>Please pay your bill promptly on demand. If you are insured for
   outpatient treatment please provide the details required by your
   insurer and sign the claim form as guided by our registration staff.

Cafeteria
There is a cafeteria at the rear of the building with snacks and refreshments for you, your relatives and
friends.

Note:
If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints regarding our
services, etc, please do not hesitate to contact the in charge on duty.