A newly built out patient unit at Nyenye-Misori dispensary, funded by MPesa Foundation. [Isaiah Omondi, Standard]
When Mary Adhiambo,38, went into labour with her third baby, she had to travel for more than four kilometres from her home to deliver at the neighbouring Usigu Health Centre.
Despite Nyenye Misori Dispensary being closer to her home, Adhiambo opted to seek maternity services elsewhere because of the facility's poorly equipped maternity unit.
"I made the decision of the difficulties I had witnessed expectant mothers face in accessing maternity services within our neighbourhood," she says.
Today, Adhiambo is among the residents celebrating the major transformation of the Nyenye Misori Dispensary following Sh31.3 million investment by the M-Pesa Foundation.
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Having witnessed the challenges firsthand, she wishes the facility upgrade had come earlier.
"If we had a well-equipped facility, I wouldn't have traveled the long distance," she says.
Her experience underscores the importance of investing in community-level healthcare facilities, particularly in rural areas where distance, inadequate equipment and limited services can complicate access to safe maternal care.
The upgraded facility, expected to serve at least 14,000 residents of West Yimbo and neighbouring areas in Usigu, Siaya County, has a newly constructed and equipped Outpatient Department (OPD) wing and a renovated maternity unit.
The facility was officially handed over to the Siaya County Government during a ceremony attended by Governor James Orengo and Safaricom PLC Board Member Edward Okaro.
The investment is expected to ease congestion, improve patient privacy and expand access to essential healthcare services closer to residents' homes.
The new OPD wing features a triage station, consultation rooms, a Child Welfare Clinic, an Antenatal Care room, a modern laboratory, a pharmacy and a dedicated children's waiting area.
It has also been equipped with medical devices and digital tools to strengthen diagnosis, patient management and service delivery.
Medical Laboratory Officer Mark Amollo is among the healthcare workers who will use the improved facilities, with the newly equipped laboratory expected to strengthen access to essential diagnostic services.
The expansion will also allow the maternity wing to concentrate on maternal healthcare, while outpatient consultations are handled in the new wing.
Beyond the construction, the Foundation renovated the existing maternity unit, improved sanitation facilities and undertook landscaping to create a more conducive environment for patients and healthcare workers.
As part of efforts to promote safe motherhood, new mothers also received Mama Packs during the handover ceremony.
Speaking at the event, Okaro said M-Pesa Foundation was committed to bringing healthcare services closer to communities to improve livelihoods and support economic development.
"Poor health affects the entire community, including the work people do to improve their livelihoods and contribute to economic growth. This is why, as the M-Pesa Foundation, we are committed to bringing healthcare services closer to communities," he said.
He added that a healthy community was better positioned to grow and develop.
The investment is part of the Foundation's Uzazi Salama programme, which supports reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health through improved access to antenatal care, safe delivery, postnatal care and child health services.
"The programme also seeks to address the three delays associated with maternal healthcare: delays in deciding to seek treatment, reaching a health facility and receiving appropriate care upon arrival," said Okaro.
For residents of West Yimbo, the upgraded Nyenye Misori Dispensary represents an opportunity to access a wider range of services without travelling long distances.