Wesu Sub-County Hospital and Werugha Health Centre in Taita Sub-County yesterday received a basketful of prenatal and maternal goodies from Safaricom Foundation, a generous donation that will go a long way to boost mother and child health.
The donations through the Foundation’s Ndoto Zetu initiative are a stitch in time to save hundreds of mothers, unborn and born babies from the acute critical maternal infrastructural shortages that are prevalent in many rural health facilities.
George Wawaka, sales manager at Safaricom PLC and the telco’s lead representative during the donation said the Ndoto Zetu initiative is a vehicle through which Safaricom is reaching marginalized communities to bring health and education services closer to the village level.
“Through Ndoto Zetu, we strive to make an impact on unreached communities and individuals by bringing closer to them educational and health services,” said Wawaka.
He further said the initiative is actively receiving proposals from individuals and communities with an agenda to make positive change through bridging gaps in access, and affordability, and improving the quality of education and health services across the country.
Wesu Sub-County Hospital received, among other things, an incubator and electric room heaters, which according to the hospital’s nurse, Marjorie Wonge, will provide better care for infants born before maturity and keep mothers and newborns warm during the harsh cold season respectively.
“Most importantly, the incubator will greatly improve our care for infants born before maturity while the room heaters will keep mothers and newborns warm during the cold seasons that at times are at freezing temperatures,” said Wonge.
Werugha Health Centre received a set of modern delivery beds and a baby warmer; donations that will ease the need for local mothers to seek basic maternal services at Wesu Sub-County Hospital.
Thanking the initiative, Werugha Health Centre in-charge, Ruth Nzale said the equipment will go a long way to help mothers and infants as well as exhaust the skills of experts at the facility in service to the locals.
“Initiatives like this are a blessing not only to the mothers and their babies but also boost service delivery by health experts in ensuring quality services to the locals,” said Nzale.
The national government continues to support and boost the efficiency of health services delivery through Universal Health Coverage (UHC), a WHO-backed initiative to ensure individuals have access to quality and affordable health services; right from the village level.
By Arnold Linga Masila
