•Nakhumicha acknowledged that there is significant challenge in provision of disability maternity friendly in the health facilities
•From the facility census it was established that out of 12, 483 facilities included in the analysis, 47 per cent (5,811) had at least one disability friendly infrastructure
Image: MOH
Women with disabilities in the country might still experience challenges accessing maternal health services due to a lack of user-friendly facilities.
This is after the preliminary report from the facility assessment conducted in August found that the problem is worse in the maternity facilities.
Health CS Susan Nakhumicha in her submissions to the Senate on Wednesday acknowledged that there is a significant challenge in the provision of disability maternity-friendly in health facilities.
From the facility census it was established that out of 12, 483 facilities included in the analysis, 47 per cent (5,811) had at least one disability-friendly infrastructure.
The Ministry evaluated whether the health facilities had disability-friendly infrastructures such as ramps/lifts, disability-friendly washrooms, disability-friendly maternity beds and wheelchairs.
Eighty two per cent of the 5,811 had at least a ramp, 54 per cent had wheel chairs, 15 per cent had disability friendly washrooms and only seven per cent had disability friendly maternity beds.
“Further analysis revealed that 80 per cent and 42 per cent of level six and level five facilities had disability-friendly maternity beds while only 22 per cent and eight per cent of level four and level three facilities had disability-friendly maternity beds,” she told the Senate.
Nakhumicha noted that the ministry will work with county governments to ensure the gaps identified during the assessment are filled to improve access to quality care by all Kenyans.
She however said it will take time to achieve that as the whole process will require budgetary allocations.
“In terms of the infrastructure it is indeed true that it is quite low for maternity services and therefore it is one of the things that we shall be working together with the count governments in filling the gaps that do exist,” Nakhumicha said.
“But we must acknowledge that infrastructure development is capital intensive so it is not going to be a day or month, it is going to be over a long period because there has to be a serious budgetary allocation for us to be able to fill the gap,” the CS said.
Reproductive health and maternal services are offered in both outpatient and inpatient.
The CS said the high accessibility in the form of ramps/lifts and the availability of wheelchairs indicate that PWDs can access reproductive services.
She noted the facility assessment covered several other areas and the ministry is packaging the information.
Once done, the ministry will provide feedback to the counties to strengthen access to services especially in maternal care by increasing number of disability friendly maternity beds.
She noted that despite the challenges, a short survey undertaken by the ministry in October 2022 found out that some counties had put in place various parameters to ensure access to health services by PWDs.
The survey which was conducted among 97 health facilities for instance established that Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) had Sign language interpreters, and motorist wheelchairs for staff and other officers.
Baringo County Referral Hospital had an initiative where services are taken to the patient with disability while Bungoma Hospital had staff trained in sign language.
Kapsabet County Referral Hospital and Thika Level 5 Hospital had Sign language interpreters in clinics and the Outpatient Department for the deaf while other facilities had Go-carts to ferry PWD from the gate.