The County Government of Nakuru is expanding and equipping its maternity and newborn units to create spaces that promote the provision of quality care and better services for the growing number of expectant mothers.
The devolved unit’s administration hopes that the ongoing improvement of the facilities will help reduce infant and maternal mortality ratios and also offer affordable maternity services.
According to County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health Ms Roselyn Mungai enhancement of service delivery at Mother and Baby Units at Bondeni, Mirugi, Rhonda and Langa langa Level 3 hospitals, is also aimed at decongesting the Margaret Kenyatta Mother-Baby Unit at the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital (NTRH).
Ms Mungai conceded that the Margaret Kenyatta Mother-Baby Unit was surging under the weight of deliveries registering over a thousand births per month adding that they were out to ensure all women were supported by sufficient and skilled health providers at the Level 3 health care facilities.
“The numbers of expectant mothers seeking services at Margaret Kenyatta Mother-Baby Unit continue rising yet there are a number of facilities that have been improved to offer the same high quality maternity services such as Bondeni, Mirugi, Rhonda and Langa langa hospitals,” noted the CECM.
Speaking when she made an impromptu visit to the Accident and Emergency Department at NTRH, Ms Mungai assured residents that the health department was also reducing delays in receipt of care by improving urgent and emergency referral systems.
She urged women in the county to use available facilities during childbirth to reduce mortality rates, adding that they had been upgraded to standards that offer good, safe, and respectful maternal services.
The CECM added that Governor Susan Kihika’s administration will continue to invest heavily in the building and rehabilitation of hospitals, to ensure they are capable of delivering topnotch services.
“Our objectives as a county are to work in line with the Global Sustainable Development Goals, Vision 2030 and our County Integrated Development plan. Sustainable Development Goal 3 strives to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health for all,” Ms Mungai said.
She added: “We have made a significant milestone towards achieving our vision of ending maternal and neonatal deaths in Nakuru County and we will focus on efforts to decongest the County referral hospital to improve health services.”
The County’s Mother and Baby Units at the Level 3 hospitals currently provide amenities including antenatal and postnatal wards, maternity and child health clinics, laboratories, consultation rooms, specialized clinics, a delivery rooms, nurse stations, offices, kitchens and laundries
Ms Mungai affirmed that as the demand for services at the NTRH continues to rise, the hospital’s leadership is proactively implementing measures to ensure that all service delivery points remain responsive and efficient.
In this regard, she pledged, the County leadership and the hospital administration were committed to enhancing standards of care to ensure residents get good care.
She underscored the County Government’s commitment to support NTRH to meet the growing needs adding this approach would help monitor service delivery and help identify replicable good practices and success stories.
“It also provides invaluable first-hand perspectives on the challenges faced in service delivery and their potential solutions across all levels of medical facilities,” stated the CECM.
She further disclosed that she had constituted a County Health Management Team (CHMT) that is tasked with reviewing the performance of all units by bringing together all units heads to monitor progress of various performance indicators within their programs.
“The Department of Health managers hold monthly CHMT meetings to stay on track and ensure they meet the targets outlined in their performance contracts. Every unit head has an opportunity to provide updates on the progress of their performance indicators while also sharing insights and strategies for continued success in the programs,” the CECM explained.
Ms Mungai noted that the analysis of data and progress reports ensures that the reviews steer the team towards a shared goal of providing quality healthcare services.
By Jane Ngugi
