Theatre equipment is the largest single line in almost every hospital capital budget, and the one where a specification error is hardest to live with. An operating table is bolted into a workflow for fifteen years. A theatre light that casts a shadow into the wound cannot be argued with.
Theatre light and operating table prices in Kenya: 2026
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Examination Light | KSh 10,000 | Consulting room and minor procedure use |
| Theatre Light – Single Arm Halogen with Stand | KSh 80,000 | Mobile, minor theatre, outreach |
| Theatre Light – Portable Halogen | KSh 85,000 | Backup light, mobile surgical camps |
| Theatre Light – Single Arm | KSh 220,000 | Ceiling-mounted main light, minor and day surgery |
| Theatre Light – Double Arm LED | KSh 320,000 | Main theatre, with a satellite head for the assistant |
| Hydraulic Operating Table | KSh 220,000 | District and mission hospital general theatre |
| Electric Operating Table – Standard | KSh 300,000 | Higher-volume theatre, faster positioning |
| Electric Theatre Table | KSh 450,000 | Full-feature table for specialist and private theatres |
| Diathermy Machine 400 Watts | KSh 200,000 | General surgery electrosurgical unit |
| Diathermy Machine | KSh 240,000 | Higher specification electrosurgery |
Specifying a theatre light properly
Three numbers matter and none of them is the wattage. Illuminance at one metre, measured in lux, should be at least 100,000 for a main theatre light. Colour rendering index should be 95 or above, because tissue that renders badly is tissue you are judging wrongly. Colour temperature should sit between 4,000 and 5,000 K, which reads as neutral daylight.
Then there is shadow control, which is what actually separates a good light from a bright one. A multi-reflector or multi-LED head fills in the shadow cast by the surgeon head and hands. A single large bulb, however powerful, cannot. That is the main argument for LED over halogen, alongside the heat: halogen heads warm the surgical field and the surgeon, and in a Nairobi theatre in January that is not a trivial complaint.
Double arm means a main head plus a satellite. If two surgeons operate together, or if you do any deep cavity work, specify it. Retrofitting a satellite head later costs more than including it.
Hydraulic or electric operating table
A hydraulic table is pumped by foot. It is mechanically simple, has nothing to fail electrically, and is the right choice where power is unreliable and the theatre list is moderate. A district hospital running general surgery and caesarean sections is well served by one.
An electric table positions faster and holds position precisely, which matters on long lists and in specialist positioning. Insist on a manual override: an electric table with a flat battery and no hand pump in the middle of a case is a serious problem. Check the battery runtime and whether a replacement can be sourced locally in three years.
- Load rating. Confirm the safe working load with the table articulated, not flat. Ratings quoted flat are optimistic.
- Sections. Head, back, seat, leg and kidney bridge cover general work. Radiolucent tops matter if you use image intensifiers.
- Accessories. Arm boards, lithotomy supports, shoulder braces and a mattress are frequently quoted separately. Get them on the same order.
- Floor fixing and drainage. Decide before delivery. Retrofitting floor anchors means closing the theatre.
Electrosurgery and the rest of the room
A diathermy unit is specified by output power and by mode. 400 W covers general surgery comfortably; lower-power units struggle with larger cases. Bipolar capability matters for fine work. The plate electrode and its cable are consumables, and a bad plate is the most common cause of patient burns, so budget for spares from day one.
A theatre is a system, not a shopping list. The theatre starter pack specifies the table, lights, diathermy, suction, monitoring, instrument trolleys, drapes and sterilisation together so nothing arrives orphaned. The autoclave guide covers sizing the sterilisation side to the instrument load.
Questions we are asked most often
How much does a theatre light cost in Kenya?
A mobile single arm halogen light is around KSh 80,000, a ceiling-mounted single arm about KSh 220,000, and a double arm LED around KSh 320,000. Examination lights start at KSh 10,000.
How much is an operating table?
A hydraulic table is about KSh 220,000, a standard electric table around KSh 300,000, and a full-feature electric theatre table about KSh 450,000.
LED or halogen?
LED, unless budget forces otherwise. Less heat in the field, far longer lamp life, better shadow control and better colour rendering.
Do you install theatre equipment?
Yes. We deliver, install, commission and train staff, and we service what we supply. Ceiling-mounted lights require a site assessment first.
Ordering
See theatre and examination lights, operating tables, electrosurgery and diathermy and theatre and sterilisation. Talk to us early on theatre projects; specification is easier to fix before the order than after.