The Department of Health Services in Homa Bay County has received a donation of medical equipment worth Sh2.66 million from an organization dubbed Lwala Community Alliance.
The equipment, meant for saving the lives of mothers and children during childbirth, included Non-Pneumatic Anti-shock Garment (NASG) used for resuscitating, stabilising and preventing excessive bleeding in women with obstetric hemorrhage.
The consignment also included Ambu Bag Neonatalis which is used for providing positive pressure ventilation to boost breathing in patients.
Others were Penguin suckers used for removing obstructive fluids from newborn’s nose and mouth to help them breathe.
The County Chief Officer for Health Kevin Osuri said the equipment would be distributed to 36 health facilities.
He said majority of the health facilities to benefit were dispensaries and health centers in villages.
Speaking when he received the equipment in Homa Bay Town, Osuri said the equipment would aid efforts of tackling maternal mortality during delivery.
Dr. Osuri said research showed that the main cause of maternal mortality during delivery was hemorrhage.
He said the equipment would enable health workers in the county to save mothers who experience hemorrhage during delivery adding that their medical officers have been trained on how to use the equipment.
“The main cause of maternal mortality is obstetric bleeding. The equipment will help us achieve our objective of ending such deaths,” Dr. Osuri said.
He said they had also intensified blood donation to ensure that the county blood bank has enough blood in an effort to fight maternal mortality.
“With the adequate blood in our blood bank and this equipment, we are confident that our medics will deal with any eventualities of hemorrhage during or after delivery to ensure no mother loses her life. We are very grateful for this donation,” Osuri said.
The Project Manager of Lwala Community Alliance Wycliffe Owanda said their objective was to capacity build health facilities to reduce maternal and infant mortalities in the county.
“We are training health workers and equipping health facilities to reduce maternal and infant deaths, all children born must live to adulthood,” Omwanda said.
By Davis Langat
