Tecno 4 Launched to enhance your beautiful moments

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Tecno 4 Launched to enhance your beautiful moments

Staff Writer - October 4, 2019

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In the bustling Tushauriane area of Kayole, Embakasi, St. Patrick’s hospital is like an oasis in a desert. The level four hospital attends to thousands of patients in the densely populated Eastlands area. For the last 13 years, Ann Maina, the director and founder of the facility, has aspired to provide only the highest quality of care. Although the facility is widely known for its efficient services, it stands out when it comes to maternity care. From the onset, maternity care has always been dear to Mrs. Maina, a nurse. This was cemented into her heart after coming across debilitating and nerve-wracking experiences when she worked as a nurse in one of the local government hospitals. “The experience really left a bad taste in my mouth. I remember one time working in the maternity department, I witnessed nurses beating up an expectant mother in the delivery room. It was a heartbreaking moment for me and I really didn’t want to be part of that,” she recalls. Early in her career, she says she knew there was a way that mothers could deliver babies in a conducive environment, while receiving the best of care. “I felt that mothers should not suffer.” This prompted her to start a maternity home in her rented one-bedroom house, where she could afford mothers the best care she envisaged. For a start, she had a blood pressure monitoring machine, an examination bed and a drug cabinet. Her plan worked. Within a short time, more mothers visited her house, ready to deliver. “At one point, I had three expectant mothers coming to my house seeking assistance as they were ready for delivery. I handled them expertly. As others waited on the couch, I took in the first mother and she had a safe delivery. Within a short time, I ushered the rest into the delivery room and everything went well,” she shares. After making porridge for them, she discharged them after four hours. “Mothers need respect when giving birth. They need to be handled well.” With a vision, she realized that she was meeting a critical need in her society. Having tested the waters, she knew what needed to be done. “My patients needed to sleep on white sheets and pillows and once they have delivered, they need to be wheeled to their beds, be supported together with their babies, with lots of respect,” Naturally, expansion was in her mind, but there was a big problem; she had no money to expand. “I wanted to expand, but banks couldn’t give me money. Luckily, I had a Merry Go Round Chama that gave me some cash to expand.” Even with the cash injection from her Chama, she quickly found out that she couldn’t do more, especially when it comes to equipping a maternity unit. Seeing the potential of her dream, she decided to make a leap of faith and sold her house. With the proceeds, she then bought land and built structures at the current location. “I build the outpatients and the maternity section before the money ran out.” Despite the meager resources, Ann was motivated to keep going. At that point when she was starting out, she says she drew her motivation from the then president, Mwai Kibaki whose rallying call was to create over 500 000 jobs every year. “ I felt like the former president was talking to me directly, asking me to create jobs. With that I just went out and hired my first batch of professionals, including nurses, clinicians and doctors to help me run the show.” She remembers that the government of the day had made the business environment conducive, enabling businesses to make money. “Money became available to businesses through affordable bank loans”. What followed was a growth spurt that saw the business grow exponentially. Since its inception in 2012, St Patrick’s Hospital has become a household name in Kayole and environs. So phenomenal has been the growth that it has spawned a new branch. “As part of our expansion, we were able to buy land in Kenol, Muranga county and build and equip a fully fledged hospital, serving many people in the environs.” Mrs Maina attributes the hospitals' growth to sheer hard-work and determination. She appreciastes the fact that her husband joined and supported her to run the facility. “He could help from day one when I had to rush a patient to another facility in an ambulance. He was also instrumental in designing and building our facility.” Firstly, she says the hospital obtained favor from the locals, who patronized it. Secondly, the partnership with SafeCare, an international quality assurance and standards organization was a game changer. Once they joined SafeCare in 2012, Mrs Maina and her team were signed up for business and quality management training to improve their skills. The first step is assessment, which was an eye-opener for Mrs Maina. SafeCare found out that Ann and her team were not running the facility the right way. “We had no administration office, no systems. SafeCare helped them isolate the gaps and set in motion interventions in a bid to improve themselves. With this, they were able to streamline their record keeping, have audited accounts and a digitalized patient history. Next to identifying gaps, SafeCare provided St. Patrick’s hospital with practical tools, solutions and technical support, including access to finance. After the SafeCare intervention, Mrs Maina says her facility was able to obtain the first loan from Medical Credit Fund under the PharmAccess umbrella. It’s this experience that opened the doors for her to get credit from other institutions. She says that the impact of SafeCare was felt almost instantaneously. Shortly afterward, her facility was able to attract all the big insurers, as well as NHIF, a move that brought in many patients. “When the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) used to visit us for an evaluation, we never knew what they were looking for, and we didn’t know how to improve. After we started SafeCare and the NHIF visited us again, it was a whole new story’’. St. Patrick became NHIF accredited, ensuring a bigger client and income flow. Patient visits have risen from almost 600 to more than 2000 a month, especially now that they have also managed to contract corporate clients and private medical insurance companies. There’s no doubt that SafeCare has helped Ann to reposition her facility and increase its market value. Safecare also helped Ann and her team to mitigate risks in the workplace, especially by embracing handwashing and separating waste in color-coded bins. For Ann, running the hospital is not just a passionate endeavor, but one that should impact society. This explains why her facility hosts health campaigns to educate the community about hygiene. Safecare has certified the facility as a Level 4 but Mrs Maina is eager to go for the highest certification as well as be ISO-certified. “We have come a long way, and we are going far. Our aim now is to continue offering the highest quality of care to all patients, with dignity and respect.”

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Emirates (http://www.Emirates.com) has continued its commitment to making travel more accessible for all, by successfully arranging bespoke Emirates Travel Rehearsals across more than 40 cities globally over the past year. With more than 250 families positively impacted, Emirates Travel Rehearsals are designed to support children and young adults with autism, allowing them to practice the journey through the airport to prepare for real flights - easing travel anxiety and empowering them to fly with more confidence. After the initial Emirates Travel Rehearsals in Dubai resulted in positive feedback from families, schools and autism organisations; the Emirates Office of Accessibility & Inclusion formulated the travel rehearsal into an official programme, to be rolled out across its global network. Since April 2025, Emirates’ Airport Services teams have come together to arrange more than 40 of these travel rehearsals across airports like Accra, Athens, Bali, Bangalore, Barcelona, Bologna, Brussels, Cairo, Christchurch, Da Nang, Delhi, Dubai, Dublin, Durban, Düsseldorf, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Harare, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Luanda, Madrid, Mauritius, Milan, Newcastle, Nice, Orlando, Oslo, Paris, Peshawar, Port Luis, Rome, Stansted, Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto, Trivandrum, Venice and Vienna. More than 35,000 Emirates staff have been trained to support customers with autism and can help facilitate travel, and Travel Rehearsals. Emirates teams work very closely with airport authorities and partners to make sure each rehearsal is a supportive and successful experience for the families. Sami Aqil Abdullah, Senior Vice President, Emirates Airport Services Outstation & Business Support, commented; ‘The Emirates Travel Rehearsal programme has been a resounding success across 6 continents, with impressive collaboration and drive shown by all stakeholders, from our own Emirates teams to our airport partners, and the parents and teachers who trusted us to support their children. We will continue to amplify this success with more locations, more teams involved, and more families positively impacted and empowered to fly with confidence.’ What is an Emirates Travel Rehearsal? As the world’s first autism certified airline, Emirates is aware that for many families, international air travel is a highly challenging experience, or something to be avoided completely due to the high level of sensory stimuli that is involved. A survey on AutismTravel.com revealed that 78% of families are hesitant to travel or visit new locations for these reasons. For many people with autism, planning and predictability is critical – and an airport represents a world of unknown processes and stimuli. Emirates Travel Rehearsals are a purposeful community collaboration and learning exercise arranged by Emirates, with the support of international airport teams, Border Control and Security teams, and schools and centres for autism based all around the world. The travel rehearsals empower neurodivergent people to participate in a real-time journey through the airport, practicing the actions of checking in, dropping baggage, going through immigration and security, and experiencing the hustle and bustle of retail and dining areas. While familiarising themselves with the airport, participants are also issued mock boarding passes and given the chance to meet the many uniformed staff encountered along the way. In some airports, Emirates’ teams managed to arrange access to real aircraft for the children and young adults. Positive feedback from participants Now on an international level - parents, therapists, teachers, young adults and children involved in the travel rehearsals so far have reported to Emirates that the experience has been invaluable in helping them have a safe and successful flight, by offering the comfort of preparation and familiarity, as well as trained staff to support. “The relief experienced when institutions like Emirates have considered children with neurological differences in their operational strategies! To know a parent is welcomed with massive support during travels is such a beautiful feeling. It’s like a road to freedom for my child.” From an Autism Center founder and parent, Accra. “Now I am not afraid anymore! Maybe we can fly again next year. Before it was terrible. But now I can leave my fears somewhere else.” From Noah in Dusseldorf, 13 years old. “A real highlight of the day was watching the Emirates A350 arrive on stand, with the Captains waving to the children - a moment that sparked huge excitement. By the end of the evening, smiles were everywhere, and the atmosphere was filled with pride and joy. The children headed home with their bags they had “checked in,” filled with Emirates goodies, making the experience even more memorable. It was an incredibly rewarding day, and we’re grateful to everyone who took part and supported this.” From an Autism Group Leader, Edinburgh. “It is heartwarming to see and feel that in this busy world, there is still time taken to think of those who need just a little extra care. Thanks to this experience, our child can finally form a real picture of what to expect from an air‑travel holiday, because with explanations alone, he simply cannot imagine it. We found it incredibly fun and very helpful to experience this together with our son! Thank you!” From a Parent in Brussels. “Interesting! I was allowed to control the baggage belt. Everything was great. Especially the picnic room (lounge), the weapon control (security), the aircraft, just everything!” From Oskar in Dusseldorf, 7 years old. “Thank you for yesterday’s experience. From what participants have said, I think it couldn’t have been better, Mario is still saying that it was the best day of his life.” Parent from Fundación Friends, Barcelona. “The effort that Emirates put into creating more awareness, understanding, and sensitivity towards people with an invisible disability deserves the highest appreciation. Your approach shows insight, respect, and genuine commitment, making the world a better place and the lives of people with disabilities more liveable. It is inspiring to see how much care and attention you put into this. Hopefully, other airlines will follow your example, and awareness for people with disabilities will continue to grow. Thank you very much for this wonderful experience.” From an Autism Group leader in Brussels. “Unusual, I have never been to an airport. Very strange bus, it had doors on both sides. Cockpit was very cool! I was surprised to receive a present, I was very happy! Everything was unusual but fine and I could understand everything what was explained.” From Erik in Dusseldorf, 19 years old. ‘I was buzzing with excitement as the day approached with my students. Emirates’ team were incredibly welcoming and supportive, going above and beyond to make our travel experience both exciting and comfortable. From sensory-friendly spaces to tailored support, every detail was thoughtful. We had so much fun with the staff they truly understood us and were thrilled to have us. Thanks for making it a memorable day’. From a Class Teacher in Accra. “The experience you’ve given us is invaluable. We continue to be overwhelmed by the welcome we received. We loved all the details and preparation of the tickets at check-in, controls, boarding, and meeting the crew. We consider it a very significant step forward. The boys and girls came back very happy and after a week they are still remembering and talking about the visit. The feedback from families has also been very positive.” Representative from the Fundación Aucavi, Madrid. “Thank you can feel so light at times like these. To think of our children with autism was such an honor for families. You unpacked travel aspirations they have, their desired destinations. One parent said they never ever asked their son where he would like to visit thinking he knows no destinations.” Representative from the Regional Development Office for Autism, South Africa “Thank you, Emirates. It helped us a lot that we could go through the check-in process all the way to boarding the plane (the problem for us was/is the transportation on the passenger bridge, but now we know that it’ll be fine for our child too). Special thanks for your hospitality, and for the patience of Emirates staff. Our little boy had a great desire to board a plane, we returned home enriched with positive experiences. He also went to school today in the hat he received.” Parent from Hungary “I haven’t travelled in ten years out of fear for my child. After this experience, I feel more confident and hope to plan a trip with him.” Parent from Angola “A million thanks for organizing, your team was incredibly professional and kind. My gratitude to the crew member who showed Nore around, it made his day! He was also over the moon with the goodie bag he received, his smile got bigger and bigger as we reached home. You really did an amazing job when he finished his day by raising his arms and shouted: “I love being an autist”!” Parent of Nore from Oslo. “It was more than an airport experience. It was a gesture of respect, care, and recognition of everyone’s right to belonging, to travel, and to live fully. Each smile, each achievement, and each emotional glance from our little ones and their families revealed the true meaning of inclusion: creating safe, welcoming, and accessible spaces for everyone.” Doctor from Kuzola Mona Children Development Centre, Angola. “Wow what an experience you provided our students on Friday. As a teacher of students with specialist needs for over 20 years this was one of the best things I have attended. Everyone commented on the care and attention from the whole Emirates team and the ground crew at Christchurch airport. We now have families who feel confident to give travel a go! Emirates aircraft model now has a new home, at the school reception.” Teacher from Pītau-Allenvale School, Christchurch. Emirates’ continuous support for neurodiverse customers Emirates will continue to arrange Travel Rehearsals across its global network throughout 2026, inviting more schools and centres to participate. Emirates’ range of sensory products and fidget toys (http://apo-opa.co/3QmXkiT) for customers of all ages continue to be available onboard in all cabin classes, for passengers who are neurodiverse, anyone who is struggling onboard or is a nervous traveller. Emirates Accessible & Inclusive Travel Hub (http://apo-opa.co/3QmXs1R) on Emirates.com has been designed to contain all the information needed for accessible and inclusive travel, featuring accessibility-friendly navigation that allows customers to find information easily and explore the many ways that Emirates can provide travel assistance and support. Aiming to reduce anxiety before travelling, customers can choose to view and explore sections by disability, including Hidden Disabilities. If preferred, customers can search by looking at specific parts of the journey, which have been clearly arranged – Before your flight, Departure from Dubai, Onboard your flight, Connecting in Dubai and Arriving in Dubai. A third option allows customers to browse by specific needs, including Prepare for travel with the autism-friendly guide and Explore Dubai Airport (DXB) Map and Sensory guides.

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The blueprint, presented by Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) to the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), also proposes construction of a new runway by 2029 and expansion of airfield capacity to handle up to 63 aircraft movements per hour, up from the current 14. Officials say passenger numbers have been rising by roughly one million annually, meaning existing facilities could become insufficient within the next three years if upgrades are not undertaken. Beyond terminal development, the Master Plan outlines phased infrastructure investments, including landside upgrades to improve access, circulation and operational efficiency. The expansion will be carried out in stages to minimize disruption, with existing terminals rehabilitated and optimized during the transition. Authorities argue the modernization is critical to maintaining JKIA’s position as a regional aviation hub, boosting cargo and passenger traffic, and supporting airport-linked businesses. However, financing, execution timelines and coordination with stakeholders will be key to delivering the project without operational setbacks.

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Tag: AI Bright camera

Tecno 4 Launched to enhance your beautiful moments

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