Tharaka Nithi governor’s wife Margaret Muthomi has revealed that the county government is set to operationalise a programme that is aimed at providing emergency healthcare services for expectant mothers in the region.
The programme which is a partnership between county government, M-mama, Vodafone and Pathfinders will seek to ensure affordable emergency transport services that will provide mothers and newborns with vital life-saving health care services.
The governor’s wife said that the project will help mothers who suddenly experience unusual symptoms like bleeding and are in dire need of an emergency response.
She added that they will allocate community emergency drivers who will be on standby to take expectant mothers to the relevant healthcare facilities for immediate treatment.
“We have been in talks with our partners and we want to establish our community emergency drivers who can be called at any time to take pregnant mothers to the clinic or recommend the relevant hospital for treatment,” she said
Muthomi explained that the aim of the program is to reduce maternal deaths and boost life expectancy in the region, adding that the project will be launched soon.
On his part County Executive Committee Member (CEC) health and medical services Dr Gichuiya Nthuraku M’riara said that the county government is partnering with key stakeholders to improve service delivery of expectant women in case of an emergency.
He noted that these sudden complications can be life threatening and thus require quick response to save the life of the mother and child.
Dr Nthuraku revealed that they aim to boost quick affordable transportation of expectant mothers to hospital for fast diagnosis and treatment to ensure the infant is delivered safely.
The CEC expressed they are rolling out infrastructure and skilled health practitioners to assist once the programme is launched.
“We are in talks to determine when we will launch this program and put in the necessary infrastructure and skilled health workers who will assist the mothers,” he said
He acknowledged that it was important to avert such emergencies in order to boost the health of the child and mother leading to economic development in the region.
The doctor appreciated the governors wife for her continued support in various health sector including breast cancer treatment, teenage pregnancies and Female Genital Mutilations (FGM).
By Sharon Gitau
