Clinical Services

Tenwek Hospital is one of the largest mission hospitals in Africa. It provides primary health care to 600,000 Kipsigis people within a 32 kilometer radius and serves a referral center for a much larger region. Surrounding Tenwek are several small government dispensaries and health centers; many patient referrals come from those facilities.

At Tenwek all types of medical and surgical conditions are treated. Tenwek hospital has 308 beds and includes large general wards for the surgery, medicine, pediatrics and obstetrical services. The 7 bed intensive care unit was enlarged and remodelled in 1995. An eye ward, and an orthopedic ward were added in 1997. Three major and two minor operating rooms along with a recovery room provide facilities for a wide variety of surgical services.

The maternity unit contains 72 beds, three delivery tables, and an operating room. Two neonatal nurseries care for infants who are sick or premature. All other infants stay with their mothers.

Laboratory, X-ray, physiotherapy, and ultrasound provide diagnostic and rehabilitative services. Routine biochemistry, hematology, and bacteriology studies along with blood banking services are available. Two large X-ray units, two portable X-ray units and two ultrasound machines are operational. Centrally piped oxygen and suction are available to most departments and wards.

The Outpatient Department includes Maternal Child Health, Surgical, Orthopedic, Eye, Dental, Diabetic, Medical, Pediatric, and Tuberculosis clinics in addition to the General Outpatient Clinic.

Training Programs

Over time, Tenwek as a place for training personnel has become an important theme in an effort to accomplish the mission far beyond our hospital's walls.

Tenwek's nursing school prepares registered nurses. Many of these nurses go on to serve full-time at Tenwek Hospital and others serve at other facilities in Kenya. Since upgrading the school to the registered nurse level, Tenwek's wards have seen a clear improvement in the quality of care delivered.

Tenwek trains hospital chaplains at their L. Nelson Bell International Chaplaincy Training School. These hospital chaplains go on to serve Christ at hospitals across Africa. Having a good supply of hospital chaplains and chaplains-in-training is a primary resource for helping accomplish its goal to share the gospel with each patient and family.

Kenyans interns serve and study at Tenwek for one year internships. These include Medical Officer internships (internships which directly follow medical school) and Clinical Officer internships (internship for the Kenyan equivalent of a physicians assistant). Tenwek currently is collaborating with missionary hospitals at Kijabe and Chogoria in Kenya trying to start a Family Practice Residency.

Tenwek trains Community Health Workers to serve as volunteers in their communities. There are six hundred communities where volunteer workers have been trained.

The Community Development Department teaches income generating activities and assists communities with needs identification and resource mobilization.

Although the focus of service at Tenwek is serving Africans, Tenwek Hospital has helped educate scores of volunteers from overseas. This includes an active program utilizing medical students, residents, and practicing physicians as short-term volunteers.