Kakamega County’s health sector has received a major boost after Governor Fernandes Barasa commissioned a newly expanded and equipped maternity wing at Lumakanda Level-4 Hospital in Lugari Sub-County.
The refurbished 27-bed capacity wing, courtesy of the county government and Jacaranda Health under the Tutunze Kakamega Programme, is meant to enhance quality service delivery to mothers and their newborns.
Speaking after commissioning the maternity wing, Barasa reiterated his commitment to fully transforming the county’s healthcare system, which is under the first pillar of his six-point agenda.
Barasa said Lumakanda Level-4 Hospital deserves the improved maternity wing owing to the high number of deliveries it handles, averaging 120 births per month.
“I want to appreciate Jacaranda Health for the Tutunze Kakamega programme. We kicked off the programme in Malava Sub County in March, and today we are here in Lugari, commissioning a similar maternity wing project. Soon we shall be commissioning another one in Butere Sub County.
The governor noted that the provision of quality healthcare services to all Kakamega residents is his priority, disclosing that the administration has invested over Sh223 million towards upgrading health facilities across the county.
He emphasised that, besides improving the maternity wings, each health facility is also supposed to have an uninterrupted water supply.
Jacaranda Health Deputy County Director Joab Makoyo said the refurbished maternity wing is a critical milestone towards improving access to quality maternity care in Kakamega County.
He urged women and caregivers in Lugari to utilise the improved network of care in Lumakanda Level 4 hospital for delivery services.
“The hospital now has the ability to deliver and handle complications that mothers experience during childbirth; hence, it will be an ideal place for mothers seeking care,” he noted.
He lauded Governor Barasa for prioritising the provision of quality health care to residents, citing the June launch of the Kakamega Health Fund meant to avail resources to support improvement in service delivery.
Makoyo said the success of the two maternity initiatives in Malava and Lugari is due to a collaborative partnership between the county government and other stakeholders aimed at realising universal health coverage.
He thanked the county government for embracing the true essence of the Tutunze Kakamega programme by taking care of mothers and ensuring they access quality health care services.
He said mothers and healthcare providers are at the heart of the Tutunze Kakamega programme; hence, it is crucial to understand the needs of mothers besides ensuring healthcare providers work towards improving service delivery in health facilities.
According to Makoyo, the reforms under the Tutunze Kakamega programme include the expansion and equipping of maternity and newborn units to create space to provide quality services and the improvement of urgent and emergency referrals to minimise delays in receiving care.
There is also provision of health care education to women using the Jacaranda system, short messages, and ensuring all women are supported by qualified and skilled healthcare workers through emergency obstetric and neonatal care.
Makoyo further said that they also train and enhance health financing arrangements for quality services through the implementation of the Kakamega Health Fund, which ensures that health facilities have regular supplies of commodities like drugs and uninterrupted blood supplies.
By Melechezedeck Ejakait
