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Health

MAKUENI COUNTY PARTNERS WITH PATH FOR BIOMEDICAL TRAINING TO ENHANCE HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS.

Makueni County, in collaboration with PATH, is conducting a specialized training program for 16 biomedical engineering technologists at Makueni Referral Hospital.

The 5 day training which begun on Monday aimes at improving healthcare instrument management and ensuring the reliability of life-saving oxygen supply systems.

The program focuses on equipping participants with essential skills in handling, repairing, and maintaining critical medical equipment.

Chief officer Dr. Stephen Ndolo and Dr. Steven Mwatha were among those who graced the event.

MAKUENI PARTNERS WITH PATH TO BOOST OXYGEN PLANT MAINTENANCE SKILLS

The Makueni Department of Health Services has collaborated with PATH to enhance the skills of biomedical engineering technologists across the county hospitals in operating and maintaining Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology.

This five-day intensive training program emphasizes the critical importance of occupational health and safety in oxygen plant setups.

It also equips participants with essential skills in operating and maintaining oxygen plants, including troubleshooting and repair procedures.

This initiative is part of the county’s ongoing efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure and ensure the reliability of life-saving oxygen supply systems.

WORD BREASTFEEDING WEEK

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated annually during the first week of August. The theme for 2024 is “Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All.”

This year’s campaign will honor breastfeeding mothers in all their diversity, recognizing their unique journeys and highlighting the vital role families, communities, and health workers play in supporting them.

In Makueni, we celebrate every breastfeeding mother and advocate for equal access to breastfeeding support for all, recognizing the pivotal role fathers play in supporting women in this endeavor.

GOVERNOR MUTULA KILONZO JR. COMMISSIONS SOLAR PROJECT AT MAKUENI COUNTY REFERRAL HOSPITAL

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. on Monday commissioned the solarization project at Makueni County Referral Hospital.

The hospital’s new solar energy system, designed to harness 200 kilowatts at peak capacity, is expected to save the facility Ksh. 7 million annually in electricity bills.Before installing the new system, the monthly power bill was over 1.8M. After installation, June 2024’s bill was 1.1M and July’s was 1.2M, saving the county at least 600k-700k per month.

Governor Mutula emphasized that the solar system will supplement the often unreliable grid electricity, ensuring a consistent power supply and minimizing disruptions to medical services.

Dr. Paul Musila, the Health Services CECM, noted the environmental benefits of the project, saying that it will reduce the hospital’s carbon footprint. He also announced that the savings from the reduced electricity bills will be reinvested into enhancing patient care and upgrading hospital facilities.

Governor Mutula further revealed plans to construct a new intensive care unit, surgical center, and a private wing at the county referral hospital to bolster health services.

Eng. Sebastian Kyoni, the CECM for Infrastructure Transport, Public Works, Housing and Energy remarked that the project underscores the county’s commitment to fostering a greener future through investment in renewable energy infrastructure.

Governor Kilonzo was accompanied by Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, County Assembly Speaker Hon. Douglas Mbilu,area MCA Felix Mateso and several MCAs, CECMs, and Chief Officers, among others, during the commissioning ceremony.

GENDER-SENSITIVE LEADERSHIP TRAINING AIMS TO ENHANCE INCLUSIVE HEALTHCARE IN MAKUENI COUNTY

Makueni County, in partnership with Jhpiego and the Anita Mbinya Foundation, is conducting a rigorous three-day training program designed to cultivate gender-sensitive leadership within the county’s health management teams.

The workshop’s core aim is to arm participants with the requisite knowledge and strategies to develop healthcare systems that are both inclusive and equitable. By focusing on gender-sensitive leadership, the initiative seeks to effectively tackle and diminish gender disparities in the county’s healthcare sector.

Dr. Stephen Mwatha, Ag.Director in charge of Health Services, emphasized that the modules covered in the training has topics such as resource allocation, project planning and execution, leadership assessment and development, financial management, and performance measurement and evaluation.

Addressing trainees on the second day, Dr. Paul Musila, the County Executive Committee Member for Health, encouraged participants to advocate for gender equality within their professional environments. He stressed that exemplary leadership is vital in providing women with the opportunities to network, learn, and advance in their careers.

MAKUENI LAUNCHES THE PROCESS FOR COMPREHENSIVE NUTRITION POLICY DEVELOPMENT

On Tuesday, the Department of Health Services held a stakeholder sensitization forum towards development of a county nutrition policy.

The initiative, spearheaded by Nutrition International, brought together the departments of agriculture,Office of the County Attorney,education-ECDE,Water, gender,Finance,State department of social protection, State department of Education,National Drought Management Authority among others.

The policy intends to foster multi-sectoral collaboration, streamline coordination, and establish a framework for resource mobilization as well as a framework for monitoring and evaluation .

During the forum, Dr. Paul Musila, County Executive Committee Member for Health Services, highlighted the importance of mobilizing domestic resources and documenting Makueni’s good health and nutrition practices .

HOPE FOR GENDER VIOLENCE SURVIVORS

Did you know that Makueni County boasts a dedicated Gender Violence Recovery Center within its County Referral Hospital?

Since its launch in 2019, this center has been a sanctuary for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, providing vital psychosocial support for those facing emotional, physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.

According to the facility’s Counseling Psychologist Dorah Abok, in June alone, the center handled 11 cases of defilement, one case of sodomy, two rape cases, one incident of physical gender-based violence, and four cases of intimate partner violence.Five of these cases involved incest.

Dorah highlighted some trends, noting that defilement cases spike during school holidays, while incidents of intimate partner violence surge over weekends and public holidays.

The Makueni Gender Violence Recovery Center not only offers comprehensive services but also fosters a healing environment to help survivors reintegrate into safe spaces. In a collaborative effort, the county has partnered with Nairobi Women’s Gender Violence Recovery Center to extend further support to survivors of SGBV.

For assistance, the Makueni GVRC hotline is available for calls, reverse calls, and texts at 0700346405. Reach out and reclaim your safety.

MAKUENI AND PATH TRAIN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS IN ADVANCED HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY

Makueni County, in partnership with the Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), has embarked on a significant initiative to train 16 biomedical engineers in the latest healthcare technologies.

This collaboration aims to enhance the engineers’ skills in developing innovative solutions for healthcare and public health initiatives.

As part of the training, the engineers were introduced to Survey CTO Collect V2.81, a mobile data collection platform tailored for researchers and professionals working in offline environments.

This tool is expected to improve the efficiency and accuracy of data collection in various healthcare settings.

These trained biomedical engineers will be deployed to conduct comprehensive facility audits across different departments within county hospitals.

Their primary role will involve supervising over 57 healthcare facilities, with a focus on auditing equipment in laboratories, radiology units, central sterile services departments (CSSD), operating theaters, and computed tomography (CT) facilities.

Following the audits, the engineers will electronically submit detailed reports to the Department of Health Services in the County, ensuring that the data collected is promptly and accurately processed for further action.

GOVERNOR MUTULA LAUNCHES MULIMA WATER TREATMENT PROJECT AND COMMISSIONS KEY INFRASTRUCTURE IN MBOONI

In a months time, residents of Mbooni, Tulimani and Kisau/Kiteta Wards in Mbooni Sub-county will have access to quality treated water from Mulima dam.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr on Thursday launched the treatment works project, which on completion will produce 2,400 cubic meters of treated water per day.

To increase the dam’s capacity, Governor Mutula said his government has budgeted Shs 40M in the 2024/25 Financial Year for further desilting and distribution.

During his development tour of Mbooni and Kisau Kiteta Wards, Governor Mutula also commissioned Tawa Sub-county Hospital Digital X-Ray machine, Ngwani drift and inspected Kisauni earthdam.

He was accompanied by County Assembly Majority Leader Eng. Kisungi wa Katete, MCAs Alexander Mulemba (Mbooni), Kyalo Mumo (Tulimani) and Darius Mainga of Kisau/Kiteta and a number of Executive Committee Members.

MAKUENI COUNTY TEAMS UP WITH CPHD TO ENHANCE MATERNAL HEALTHCARE THROUGH AI INNOVATIONS

In a significant stride towards enhancing maternal healthcare, the Makueni County Department of Health Services has forged a strategic partnership with the Center for Public Health and Development (CPHD) to bolster referral systems. The initiative aims to revolutionize access to cutting-edge technologies, particularly AI Point-of-Care Ultrasound (AI POCUS).

The collaboration, which targets improving access, utilization, and the quality of antenatal care services for expectant mothers, marks Makueni as one of Kenya’s 18 representative counties for this pioneering effort.

Dr. Paul Musila, the County Executive Committee Member for Health Services, underscored the initiative’s importance, highlighting that selected health facilities will soon integrate AI POCUS capabilities. This technological advancement is poised to strengthen the bond between pregnant women and healthcare providers, while also engaging government regulators and financing bodies in the process.

The partnership with CPHD is poised to establish a supportive environment conducive to policy and regulatory reforms, facilitating the widespread adoption of AI-enabled point-of-care ultrasound technology across Makueni County.