Sh16m boost for maternal and child health
Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o (left) and MPESA Foundation Senior Programme Manager Henry Kilonzo during the groundbreaking ceremony of a mother and child complex at Ratta Health Centre.
What you need to know:
- The construction and select equipping of the Maternal, Child and Neonatal complex and refurbishment of the existing labour room, delivery room and post-natal room will provide a conducive environment for mothers to deliver and enable the health centre to provide better services to more women.
- The unit will also provide a variety of critical services such as outpatient care, maternity care, comprehensive clinic care, and laboratory services.
About 10,000 people are set to benefit from a range of health services in Seme, Kisumu County after the M-PESA Foundation invested Sh16 million to construct a mother and child complex at Ratta Health Centre.
The construction and select equipping of the Maternal, Child and Neonatal complex and refurbishment of the existing labour room, delivery room and post-natal room will provide a conducive environment for mothers to deliver and enable the health centre to provide better services to more women.
The unit will also provide a variety of critical services such as outpatient care, maternity care, comprehensive clinic care, and laboratory services.
Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o said the complex will support teenage mothers who still want to continue their education.
“Many girls who are young mothers are facing difficult circumstances. With this facility , girls can leave their children and go to school,” said Prof Nyong’o. The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022 report showed that 11.1 per cent of girls aged 15-19 years in Kisumu have experienced pregnancy.
Speaking during the commemoration of World Contraceptive Day and the groundbreaking for Ratta Maternal and Child Health Care in Seme, Prof Nyong’o added that poverty and lack of education are often intertwined with the challenges of adolescent pregnancy. “The statistics remind us that we have work to do as approximately four in 10 girls aged between 15-19 years in the lowest wealth bracket experiences pregnancy compared to eight per cent in the highest wealth bracket,” he said.
Prof Nyong’o added that the complex will not only provide critical services but also act as a hub for several health facilities in North Seme Ward, strengthening the primary care network. “It is a symbol of our commitment to improving the capacity of healthcare institutions to serve our community better,” he further said.
The groundbreaking will be followed by the construction of a variety of infrastructure such as a nurse station, a waiting bay with a children’s play area, two consultants’ rooms, a Child Welfare Clinic room, a pharmacy with a store and a family planning room among others.
MPESA Foundation Senior Programme Manager Henry Kilonzo said the investment will help in purchasing medical equipment that shall see each room equipped to standard, and the planting of 100 tree seedlings towards environmental conservation.
“In our efforts to curb maternal and infant mortality, M-PESA Foundation continues to partner with several counties to enhance service delivery. That is why we have intervened here in Kisumu,” said Mr Kilonzo.
Kisumu Health Executive Gregory Ganda said the county is investing an additional Sh4 Million for painting, electricity and staff quarters. “The centre will take care of reproductive health matters and help women deliver safely,” said Dr Ganda.
The groundbreaking follows a recent free medical camp in Kisumu County by the M-Pesa Foundation in partnership with Zuri Health and Lions Eye Hospital, which saw over 2,000 people access health services.
As part of the exercise, patients from the medical camp will access free follow-up consultations for up to six months via SMS and WhatsApp.
The service allows users to add three dependents who will also receive free medical advice from doctors.
