Residents of Nyeri County and the surrounding areas are set to enjoy improved health services in mother and child health as the Government handed over newly upgraded Mother and Child Units at Karatina Sub-County Hospital and Naromoru Health Centre to the County Government of Nyeri.
These two health facilities have been upgraded under the Government’s Taifa Care Model and the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program to ensure that mother-child health services are improved so that every mother delivers safely in health facilities while newborn babies receive proper care to reduce preventable deaths.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Principal Secretary of Medical Services Dr Ouma Oluga said that the project is a National Government initiative in partnership with the Government of Finland with technical assistance from VAMED Group. The project was not just about building structures but improving the quality of services as well.
Health workers have been trained in their respective fields, such as obstetrics, gynaecology, and neonatology. The health workers have also been trained on how to use equipment and how to handle health wastes. Some have even undergone observerships in Finland to enhance their skills.
The new facility at Karatina Sub-County Hospital has neonatal intensive care beds, resuscitation facilities, and modern delivery beds. The facility is also equipped with sterilization facilities, oxygen and medical air systems, water purification systems, and solar-powered boilers.
The Naromoru Health Centre will now offer integrated services in antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care. The facility has a newborn unit, modern examination facilities, sterilization facilities, and improved health waste management facilities.
The handover of facilities in Nyeri has been hailed by Governor Mutahi Kahiga, who noted that his county is among 20 in the country to benefit from this facility. He noted that his county had achieved a 66 percent rate in registering with the Social Health Authority (SHA), indicating a willingness to access affordable and quality health services.
The handover is a result of cooperation between the national and county governments to ensure improved health services in maternal and newborn health, a step towards providing universal health coverage.
