Increased birth at newly opened maternity in Nakuru

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta unveils a commemorative plaque during the commissioning of the Margaret Kenyatta Mother Baby Wing at the Nakuru Level 5 Hospital in Nakuru Town. First Lady Margaret Kenyatta hands a mother a gift during the commissioning of the Margaret Kenyatta Mother Baby Wing at the Nakuru Level 5 Hospital in Nakuru Town. [Photo: Standard]

The newly opened maternity wing at Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital is recording at least 50 new deliveries every day.

Health executive Kariuki Gachuki said the new Margaret Kenyatta Mother Baby Wing, with modern equipment, is attracting clients from as far as Baringo, Narok, Nyandarua, Laikipia and Kericho counties.

"Previously, only about 30 newborns were delivered at the hospital. The state-of-art facility, installed with four ultra-modern theatres, will reduce maternal deaths," said Dr Gachuki.

He added: "The number of mothers seeking services at the new maternity has increased drastically. This is good news as we seek to reduce maternal death and work towards realisation of universal health."

Maternal death or maternal mortality, according to the World Health Organisation, is the death of a pregnant woman or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration.

Children born with complications are able to access specialised care at the neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) within the unit.

There are also isolation wards for newborns with specific complications.

The new maternity unit also has facilities to take care of underweight babies as well as those born prematurely.

"Our health workers are offering all antenatal and postnatal services and this has greatly boosted the health of our mothers and newborns. Babies are able to get all the services, including vaccination, at the same place. The new unit also has gynaecologists to attend to women with reproductive complications," said Gachuki.

He said the number of deliveries at the new unit are expected to increase to at least 1,500 in the next three months.

The facility is the biggest in the Rift Valley region and second largest in Kenya after Pumwani in Nairobi.

Statistics from department of reproductive health in Nakuru show there were 49 maternal death in 2016. This increased to 66 by September this year.

Neonatal deaths between January and September this year stood at 454 while still birth due to difficulties during labour, bleeding and hypertension was at 1,346.

"The county has been recording a high number of maternal deaths. However, this will soon be a thing of the past through provision of quality healthcare to newborns and their mothers,” said Gachuki.