Nakuru gets largest share of free maternity funding
What you need to know:
- The Sh50 million released last week is expected to be a major boost in the county’s maternity facilities.
- Molo sub county hospital bed capacity is expected to rise from 20 to 75.
- County Health Executive Kabii Mungai said the funding would greatly reduce maternal and infant deaths across the county.
Expectant mothers in Nakuru County have a reason to smile after the national government disbursed Sh50 million to pay for their maternity services.
This is part of the Sh898 million released to the 47 counties, with the aim of ensuring expectant women get quality services.
Nakuru County is leading six other counties that will receive the lion’s share of the money. Other counties are Kakamega (Sh39 million), Nairobi (Sh37 million), Bungoma (Sh34 million), Kisii (Sh31 million) and Migori (Sh28 million).
According to the Ministry of Health, the amount is the first quarter disbursement for the financial year 2016/17.
The amount released last week is expected to be a major boost in the county’s maternity facilities.
County Health Executive Kabii Mungai said the funding would greatly reduce maternal and infant deaths across the county.
“This is a major boost to the health sector in the county as it will improve maternal care. The aid comes as a relief to residents,” said Dr Mungai.
The money comes as the county government starts a flagship project in which it will spend Sh300 million conditional grant from the national government to expand the Nakuru Level Five Maternity wing’s bed capacity from 20 to 250 beds.
“We want expectant mothers to use a single bed instead of the current situation where they are sometimes forced to share beds,” said Dr Mungai.
According to Dr Mungai, the upcoming maternity wing at the referral hospital will have a paediatric wing, where children with medical complications will be attended to.
Among the maternity annexes that have received a boost in the past is the Kwa Rhonda maternity, which got a Sh9 million equipment last month in a bid to improve maternal health in the slum area. It will also get new incubators and 24 delivery beds.
The slum is one of the most densely populated parts of the town and has a population of close to 100,000 residents.
“Most of the expectant mothers in this area were in the past forced to deliver at Bondeni Maternity Hospital or at Nakuru Level Five Hospital but this will now change as we have fully equipped the hospital,” said Dr Mungai.
Dr Mungai further said that the maternity has a theatre, a delivery room with two beds, hot showers, toilets and adequate water supply.
At the same time, Dr Mungai said that additional staff will be recruited next month to serve at the hospital.
The facility currently has six nurses, with a clinical officer in charge. However, with a fully equipped theatre, a doctor will now be recruited to take charge, he added.
“We need a doctor because mothers requiring caesarean operation will no longer be referred to Nakuru Level Five but will be attended to at the hospital,” said Dr Mungai.
The health chief also said that the Sh15 million renovation work at the 70-bed capacity Bondeni Maternity Hospital will start in two weeks’ time.
Apart from Nakuru Level Five, the county is also improving Molo Sub- County Maternity hospital and putting up a new paediatric wing at a cost of Sh8million,a facility will be ready by the end of this month.
Molo sub county hospital bed capacity is expected to rise from 20 to 75.
