Why Kenyatta Hospital is a target of local birth tourism

NAIROBI: In August 2015, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) was awarded top honours in providing the best maternal and neonatal health services, during the Maternity Unit of the Year Award ceremony.

The function, which was organised by the National Nurses Association of Kenya, midwives and partners took place at the Reef Hotel in Mombasa.

Coast General Hospital took the crown for the best maternity facility among level five hospitals.

According to the assessors, KNH took adequate measures when free maternity services were introduced in order to cope with the expected increase in deliveries in the hospital.

This award has however, come at a price. There is now an overwhelming number of women traveling from all corners of the country and some foreigners coming to deliver at KNH.

The phenomenon, which I would refer to as local birth tourism, is a result of the declaration of free maternity services in all public hospitals from June 1, 2013. This coupled with devolution of health services, that has faced various challenges, is contributing to the large numbers at KNH maternity.

Birth tourism is traveling to another country for the purpose of giving birth there. Reasons for doing this include access to the destination country’s healthcare system as well as other privileges including citizenship. The US and Canada are popular destinations for birth tourism as is Hong Kong where the right of abode is awarded to Chinese citizens at birth instead of citizenship.

Back home, expectant mothers who travel to KNH to give birth have significant medical, social and financial challenges and will often even lack transport to go back home.

While the local birth tourism phenomenon ought to be studied carefully and encouraged in order to boost overall increase in skilled attendance at birth, other hospitals across the country need to be revamped in order to decongest KNH.

Doing so will also help curb deterioration of care offered.