First C-section at Sub-county hospital as Nyamira upgrades pay off

Medics at Kijauri Sub-county Hospital have successfully performed the first caesarean section after operationalisation of the facility’s new theatre, signalling continued improvement of rural health units in Nyamira County.

Medics on Wednesday helped deliver a 3.8-kilogramme baby girl after the mother developed complications and could not give birth the natural way.

This is the third Sub-county facility in Nyamira to conduct the sensitive procedure that is aimed at saving the life of the mother and her infant.

Last year, similar deliveries were done in Manga Sub-county hospital and Gesima Health Centre in Masaba North Sub-county, signalling that upgrading of facilities is starting to pay off.

County Health Executive Douglas Bosire said apart from the theatre at Kijauri, there is a new 28 bed maternity wing and an x-ray unit.

The Republic of Poland has equipped the facility with equipment worth Sh3.3 million.

“This milestone brings the number of functional operating theatres in Nyamira County to six spread across all the sub-counties,” said Mr Bosire.

He noted that the remaining Sub-county, Nyamira North, will have its operating theatre at Nyamusi Sub-County hospital operationalised soon.

“It is good to note that Nyamira County had only one operating theatre at the advent of devolution in 2013. We have every reason to smile and enjoy the fruits of devolution,” he said.

Besides the theatres at Sub-county hospitals, the devolved unit is also constructing 30-bed in-patient blocks.

A multi-storey building named “Doctor's Plaza,” is being constructed in Nyamira town. It will have among other things an amenity wing and health workers' offices.

Governor John Nyagarama said the new theatres in the sub-counties will significantly reduce emergency maternity and general surgical referrals to facilities outside Nyamira.

The new units at the Sub-county level is in addition to a theatre block with three rooms at the Nyamira County Referral Hospital.

“The national government equipped two of the theatre rooms in Nyamira County Referral Hospital under the Managed Equipment Scheme (MES) while the third operating room was equipped by Nyamira County at a cost of Sh5 million,” said the County health executive.

“The theatre at Manga was constructed by the County Government of Nyamira and equipped by the National Government under the MES project as well,” added Mr Bosire.

He said the Polish government donated the solar hot water heating system installed at the theatre in the main hospital.

Mr Bosire said the new maternity theatres are helping reduce on maternal and neonatal deaths.