Governor Simon Kachapin has urged women in West Pokot county to deliver in health facilities to ensure child mortality is reduced in the region. The West Pokot county governor asked women in the area to shun traditional methods of giving birth which are expensive and have led to loss of lives, with women and babies continually affected. In connection with that, he urged women to avoid using traditional midwives who are not qualified, citing that his administration is committed to uplifting the current health facilities in the area to enable women access safe and efficient delivery services.
“Am urging mothers from our community to deliver in hospitals since the government has waived maternity costs. Men should ensure that women give birth in hospitals,” he said, “Mothers used to pay a lot of money but we now have free maternity services and they can get help when emergencies arise,” he said.
Kachapin pointed out that his administration is undertaking a massive improvement project at Kapenguria County hospital to ensure better and affordable healthcare for locals.
“We are also constructing a modern causality unit (ICU) in partnership with the national government that will help in emergencies. We want to make sure Kapenguria hospital becomes a referral facility because our people use a lot of money travelling to Eldoret to get better services,” he said.
Speaking during the official opening of a newly renovated maternity ward that cost Ksh5 million at Kapenguria County Hospital, Kachapin said that the county government has bought a laundry machine worth 10 million and an oxygen plant worth Ksh15 million is under construction.
“The plant will have enough cylinders, and pipes will go direct to patients because at the moment they are forced to go to Kisumu and Eldoret to get better and more advanced services. The laundry machine will be used in cleaning bedding and clothes for patients,” he said.
He observed that the county government has set up more than sixty new dispensaries and upgraded many others in a period of three years to ensure improved health services at the grass root level. “Right now we have good health centers in Sigor, Kabichbich and Chepareria,” he said.
The county boss said that the county government has expanded the theatre, equipped it with modern facilities and set up another one in Kacheliba sub county for residents to access medical services near their residential homes.
“We still have problems with getting sufficient blood for patients, and they are forced to go up to Eldoret, but soon we shall have a blood bank at Makutano,” he said.
Kachapin cited that the county has employed doctors and other medical practitioners to help residents get treatment . “We have employed a general surgeon, one that we needed but lacked for many years,” said Kachapin.
He said the county government has increased access to roads in the area for residents to be able to reach hospitals easily. “We have opened a road in Kirich and patients can easily reach health facilities. Devolution is a real game changer in our county,” he said.
