Chemolingot Sub-County Hospital in Baringo County has benefitted from a KES 12.5 million maternity wing, constructed through support from the Safaricom Foundation.
The one stop maternity wing consists of a delivery room, a theatre, post and antenatal wards, a newborn unit, a high dependency unit, 3 consultation rooms and a reception. The County Government of Baringo has equipped the maternity wing at a cost of KES 8 million through funding from the World Bank.
“Chemolingot is in one of the most vulnerable areas in Baringo county when it comes to maternal health. Through this infrastructural support, we are seeking to reduce and eventually stop the number of referrals to far away facilities,”
Joe Ogutu, Chairman, Safaricom Foundation.
Early this year, Safaricom Foundation in partnership with the County Government of Baringo launched an KES 82 million maternal health programme aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal deaths in the county which stands at 375 maternal deaths per every 100, 000 live births and 31 deaths for every 1,000 live births respectively.
Safaricom Foundation’s maternal health programme was launched two years ago and so far, Counties in the Coast and Rift Valley regions have benefited from it. Under the programme the foundation set aside KES 132 million to promote maternal, newborn and child health services around the country.
In Lamu, a maternal shelter in Witu and a newborn unit in Faza Island were constructed and equipped and are currently serving over 2,000 people. In Mombasa County, the newborn and maternity unit at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital has been renovated and equipped.
Meanwhile in Uasin Gishu, the newborn unit at Moi Teaching and Referral hospital and the maternity wing at Moiben Sub-County hospital received new equipment from the Foundation to improve service delivery.