Click to see photos of the 10th Anniversary!
Due to a study made on the need for eye care centres and “Evaluation of Cataract Service in Kenya ” in 1993, it came out clearly that eye care services in Western Kenya needed to be supplemented. This was re-emphasized during an informal census conducted by Kikuyu Eye Unit at a later stage. The census showed that almost 30% of the patients attended at Kikuyu in central Kenya were actually from Western Kenya . The idea to establish some form of eye care service in Western Kenya was born.
Christian Blind Mission (CBM) of Germany as the major donor approached other donor organizations to gather financial resources required to build the proposed hospital in Vihiga District, Western province. The efforts of the local community were also instrumental in the establishment of the hospital, spearheaded by the local MP and former vice president Hon. Musalia Mudavadi. The local partner is the Friends Church Vokoli.
In 1996 the hospital’s construction was complete and started its operations on 16th December 1996. It was incorporated as a Company Limited by guarantee on 17th October 1997. The Official Opening of the hospital was presided over by the then President H.E. Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi on 3rd March 1999.
The Hospital is the only independent eye hospital in Western Province serving a population of more than 6 million people including parts of Nyanza and Rift Valley Provinces.
The hospital is involved in all aspects of preventive, curative and rehabilitation work in Eye Care and training. It is staffed with two qualified Ophthalmologists and one senior Cataract Surgeon. It also benefits from the expertise of foreign volunteer doctors who come over from time to time. Besides the inpatient and outpatient services, Sabatia Eye Hospital has an extensive eye care outreach programme in the region.