Most public hospitals in Kwale County lack incubators, leading to high infant mortality rates in the region.
This gap results in the majority of emergency cases in public hospitals being referred to private hospitals when it is too late. Poor road infrastructure and distance to hospitals exacerbate the situation. Halima Mohammed, a mother of one, said that when a woman gives birth to a premature baby at a local hospital that does not have an incubator, she is referred to Msambweni or Mombasa hospitals, which are often full. said.
“Most of us prefer to go to private hospitals. Although they are expensive, they guarantee quality services and care for the newborn during childbirth,” said Msambweni resident Amina Kumbo.
Sophia Chomu, a community health promoter in Mapawa village in southern Kilifi, said many pregnant women have difficulty getting to hospitals because of poor roads.
She said the boda costs 300 lice from Mapawa to Vipingo Health Center. “We are going through tough economic times and some women cannot even afford Sh100 for a meal,” she says.
Msambweni Referral Hospital, the largest public hospital in Kwale, is to serve residents of all four constituencies in the vast county. However, the number of beds is 21. Other public hospitals face similar problems, such as Kwale Hospital in Matuga, where water supply is unreliable and the neonatal ward lacks incubators.
Residents also cited lack of proper sanitation and inadequate maternity facilities as major threats.
“After giving birth, there are times when there is no water at the hospital, so relatives have to bring water from home to clean themselves and the baby,” Chome said.
Kilifi County Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health Coordinator Kenneth Militi said the maternal mortality rate in Kilifi was 532 per 100,000 live births.
He said some of the factors contributing to poor maternal and child health status in Kilifi were related to delays in seeking care, delays in arriving at health facilities and delays in receiving care. Other factors include cultural beliefs, myths, and customs that influence health-seeking behaviors. For example, despite the reproductive health risks associated with teenage pregnancy, early marriage remains prevalent in the region. “The main complications, which account for nearly 75% of all maternal deaths, are excessive bleeding, infections that usually occur after childbirth, high blood pressure during pregnancy, complications from childbirth, and unsafe abortion,” Militi said.
Kilifi Deputy Governor Flora Chibre said the many challenges women, children and adolescents experience in accessing healthcare led to the construction of a new maternity wing at Junju Clinic. This project is being implemented in partnership with the M-Pesa Foundation at a cost of 10 million lice.
Last week, while laying the foundation stone for a new maternity facility at Msambweni Referral Hospital, Kwale State Governor Fatuma Atchani said: “We hope this facility will lead to a reduction in infant mortality.”
The 32.6 million lice project, jointly funded by M-Pesa Foundation and Kwale County Government, is expected to be completed in July.
There will also be incubators and cribs available. There will also be a high dependency ward, intensive care unit, nursery room, kangaroo room, laundry service and resuscitation equipment.
Ann Erickson, director of the M-Pesa Foundation, said the launch was part of the foundation's aim to reduce maternal and child mortality in Kenya.
Lamisi District Councilor Hanifa Mwajirani said the project came at the right time when the district's development focus was on improving health services for all residents.
