Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr inspects newly constructed maternity wing at Ngwata Health Centre during a development tour of Masongaleni Ward. The hospital has missed this facility since its establishment in 1973
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr on Thursday hosted a high powered delegation from Jhpiego, led by Dr. Eva Lathrop, Senior Director of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn & Adolescent Healthcare (RMNCAH), to discuss Jhpiego’s maternal health initiatives in the county.
Jhpiego supports Makueni in Accelerating Measurable Progress and leveraging Investments for Postpartum Hemorrhage Impact (AMPLI -PPHI), Obstetric Safe Surgery/Proximie(OSS), Networks of Care (ARC), Accelerating Post-pregnancy Family planning into Primary health care in Kenya (APIP) and Obstetric Fistula (OF).
The maternal initiatives have so far increased uptake of post pregnancy family planning, reduced facility based maternal mortalities as well as improved skills of health care providers in managing maternal and newborn services and strengthen referral and collaboration between facilities.
The delegation will spend two days visiting Mother and child hospital in Wote, Kibwezi and Makindu Sub county hospitals to evaluate program effectiveness.
Makueni Health Services Department Engages Partners for Enhanced Healthcare.
Makueni’s health services docket has introduced a collaborative work plan involving 90 partners to streamline healthcare and prevent duplication in a meeting at Kusyombuguo hotel in Wote on Monday.
Acting County ExecutiveCommittee Member Elizabeth Muli outlined key focus areas such as automating commodity management, eradicating rabies, and establishing modern healthcare facilities among others.
Muli reiterated the county’s dedication to improving primary healthcare access and addressing various health challenges.She observed that the department has a responsibility to order medical supplies in time and avoid stock out.
She rallied healthcare workers in the county to actively contribute to improving the lives of residents,emphasizing the tangible impact required for achieving universal health coverage.
Damaris Kavoi, County Executive Committee Member for Finance, emphasized financial prudence and pledged support towards sustainable healthcare funding.
Among those in attendance were Chief officer health services Dr.Stephen Ndolo,CEO Martha Munyao of Makueni County Referral Hospital and Acting Director of Health Services Dr. Stephen Mwatha, among others.
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr on Monday condoled with families who lost their loved ones through drowning while attempting to cross Muatineni River aboard a truck.
At Sultan Hamud Sub-county Hospital where he met the bereaved families, Governor Mutula said the accident was a tragedy that could have been avoided if the bridge was constructed to standard, and if people were patient to allow the water level to subside.
As of Monday, 9 am, 14 people had been rescued, 10 bodies recovered while four people were still missing. Search for the missing persons is still ongoing downstream led by a multi-agency team of emergency officers.
The County government has waived postmortem fees for the dead and will also support the families purchase coffins so as to lessen the financial burden associated with burial.
Governor Mutula said the county government will train more local volunteers on safety and rescue so as to avert any further loss of life in such eventualities.
Following the Disaster at River Muatineni in Sultan Hamud, the following is an update of the rescue and recovery mission by the County, National Government and Redcross Multi-agency team.
1. Persons rescued: 14
3. Persons reported missing: 8
A command post and tracing center established at Sultan Hamud Hospital.
Call 0715 486141 incase you find a missing person or any other emergency
The Department of Health Services in Makueni County collaborated with stakeholders in a workshop on Monday for the Development and Delivery of Biofortified Crops at Scale (DDBIO) project.
The initiative, jointly convened by the International Potato Center (CIP), World Food Programme (WFP), and Makueni’s health and agriculture dockets, aims to address maternal and child nutrition outcomes.
Implemented in Makueni, Tana River, and Garissa, the program focuses on improving nutrition through various interventions, including the distribution of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) vines to agro-pastoral households, aiming to alleviate maternal and child undernutrition.
Dr. Mwatha, the Ag. Director for Health Services, emphasized the importance of a multi-faceted approach to nutrition and the necessary interventions during the workshop.
Attendees included Chalmers Mulwa, a Social Scientist, Dorcas Amunga, a Nutritionist, Leonard Kirui, a Senior Manager, Lucy Mwaura, a Food Scientist, and others from the International Potato Center.
Makueni’s department of health services has partnered with Centre for International Health, Education, and Biodiversity (CIHEB) Kenya to roll out use of Artificial Intelligence in Tuberculosis diagnostics.
The first phase will be rolled out in Makueni County Referral Hospital and Makindu Sub-county Hospital. The disease burden is highest in Makueni and Kibwezi West Subcounties.
Integration of AI technology aims to facilitate early detection and management through Tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment.
Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili who led Makueni in marking the World TB Day at KMTC grounds in Wote, said Makueni has enough drug stocks to combat TB and urged residents to come out in large numbers for screening and treatment if found positive.
Statistics show that 92 percent of those diagnosed with TB in Makueni in 2023 are now free of the disease following consistent treatment and management.
At least 175 addicts of drugs and substances abuse from Makueni have had a road to Damascus moment after undergoing rehabilitation and counselling by the department of health services.
The 175 graduated on Wednesday from different forms of addiction after an 8-week rehabilitation therapy by psychiatrists from the counselling unit based in the health department.
Some of those who were deeply immersed in different forms of addiction shared agonizing experiences of how their lives had turned upside down, from absconding work, school, neglecting families to sliding into depression.
The county government is working with other partners to re-integrate these champions back to the society and offer after care to prevent relapses to addiction.
Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili who graced the graduation ceremony at the Mother and Child Hospital in Wote said the county government will budget for a rehabilitation centre to reach more people stuck in addiction.
Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. inspects the renovated Kwa Kavisi dispensary during the development tour of Kathonzweni Ward.The facility serves more than 3,000 people.
Makueni has made significant strides in reducing and preventing maternal deaths after birth due to excessive bleeding popularly known as Postpartum Haemorrhage deaths.
Speaking during the Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society 48th Annual Scientific Congress in Mombasa, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr highlighted a raft of measures the county has made to achieve this feat, key among them:
Use of Heat Stable Carbetocin for PPH prevention for all births in 36 facilities (92% of births); Procurement of quality assured medicines from KEMSA and MEDS; Facility and team based training of different cadres of health care providers and Procurement of drapes to facilitate early detection.
Others include procurement of equipment to enhance monitoring of women; Strengthening prevention and treatment of anemia; and Strengthening primary health care networks.
Governor Mutula said his administration’s huge investment in this health sector is motivated by Hillary Clinton’s clarion call that “Every woman, whoever she is, wherever she lives, should be able to give birth without the fear she’s going to lose her baby or that her baby will lose their mother.”
