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By Tony Wafula
Bungoma: Bungoma County has set aside KSh19.7 million for a comprehensive overhaul of its maternal unit infrastructure to improve maternal healthcare services, reduce preventable deaths, and enhance the quality of care for expectant mothers and newborns across the region.
The investment is expected to facilitate the renovation and equipping of maternity facilities, strengthen emergency obstetric services, and create a safer, more conducive environment for mothers and infants receiving treatment at the county’s main health facility.
Speaking to the press on the hospital premises on Tuesday, Bungoma County Referral Hospital (BCRH) Medical Superintendent Dr. Simon Kisaka noted that the maternal unit serves as the primary referral center for the wider Western Kenya region, handling a high volume of deliveries and neonatal cases on a daily basis.
Dr. Kisaka further revealed that the newborn unit admits between 95 and 100 neonates every day, placing immense pressure on the existing infrastructure and necessitating urgent upgrades to improve service delivery.
“The high number of neonates we receive daily has informed the county’s decision to invest in a complete overhaul of the maternal and newborn units. We want to ensure that the facility is able to provide quality services in a safe and comfortable environment,” Dr. Kisaka stated.
He explained that the renovation project will include the installation of modern heating systems and partitioning of wards to enhance infection prevention and patient privacy, as well as other improvements aimed at bringing the facility up to internationally accepted standards for maternal and newborn care.
“The renovation will come with heaters and partitioning to ensure that the maternal unit environment meets international standards. This will greatly improve the quality of care that mothers and babies receive at the facility,” he added.
Dr. Kisaka disclosed that the renovation works are expected to take between two and three months to complete, after which the hospital will have significantly improved capacity to handle maternal and neonatal cases.
He also revealed that additional improvements are already underway through partnerships with development organizations and other healthcare stakeholders supporting the county’s health sector.
“Through collaboration with our partners, piping and theater works are ongoing. At the end of the two months, we will have piped oxygen and a maternal theater in our newborn unit,” he said.
The medical superintendent observed that the introduction of piped oxygen will be a game-changer in the management of critically ill newborns, reducing delays associated with oxygen cylinder refills and improving emergency response within the unit.
On Tuesday, Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka toured the maternal unit to inspect and oversee the installation of new hospital beds, which he said would pave the way for the full operationalization of the mother and child hospital, boosting the facility’s capacity to provide quality maternal and specialized healthcare services.
