Kakamega improves health facilities to cut maternal deaths

The Kakamega government has increased the number of maternity beds in hospitals to reduce maternal deaths.

The county on Monday commissioned an ultramodern 39-bed maternity ward at Malava Level 4 Hospital as part of a wider strategy to expand and encourage safe deliveries.

The facility was built in the first phase of a partnership between the county government of Kakamega and Jacaranda Health under the Tutunze Kakamega Service Delivery Redesign (SDR) strategy.

More than 200 other health facilities, mostly level four hospitals in the county, have been earmarked for infrastructural improvements to boost maternal healthcare through the partnership.

The improvement targets 64 facilities in Lugari, Butere and Malava subcounties as part of the first phase of the programme, while 66 facilities in Likuyani, Mumias West, Navakholo and Shinyalu will be improved in the second phase.

The third phase will see infrastructural improvements on 75 facilities across Ikolomani, Khwisero, Lurambi, Matungu, and Mumias East subcounties.

Jacaranda Health country director Cynthia Kahumburu said the organisation's focus is on improving maternal healthcare services and newborn facilities with the help of community health volunteers (CHVs).

“We have identified some gaps in the mother’s journey through health systems such as poor coordination of emergency transport options, limited maternity bed capacity and critical hospital infrastructure, and shortage of skilled medical officers," Kahumburu said.

"That is why we are coming to support the county government in implementing the service delivery to reduce maternal mortality.” 

There are 100 postnatal beds, 100 antenatal beds and 50 newborn units at the County General Hospital (CGH).

During the commissioning of the ward at Malava Level 4 Hospital on Monday, Governor Fernandes Barasa said the programme will ensure more women give birth in hospitals.

“The delivery capacity has increased from two to five, we want to ensure that our mothers do not give birth at home but rather in the safe hands of trained personnel in hospitals,” the governor said.

“Our concern is to reduce the mortality rate by encouraging women to give birth in hospitals by ensuring we improve our healthcare system.”

The governor said the county received Sh223 million for the first phase of the programme, adding that Malava will receive a further Sh21 million.

County health executive Dr Bernard Wesonga said the county will ensure public health services are attractive to residents by employing more medics, equipping facilities and ensuring uninterrupted supply of drugs and non-pharmaceuticals.

“This will be done by empowering level 2 hospitals to ease level 4 from being overburdened,” Wesonga said.

Statistics by the health department show that only 37 per cent of births occur in facilities equipped to handle maternal emergencies.

The statistics further indicate that 85 per cent of facilities conduct less than 300 deliveries per month, yet 99 per cent of women in Kakamega live within one hour travel to an advanced level 4 and five health facility.