Disabled pregnant women in Nyamira who have been facing difficulties during child birth for lack of special beds in maternity wards can afford a smile as their prayers have been answered.
This follows the move by the county assembly which on Tuesday evening passed a bill to compel the county government to buy the women special beds.
While tabling the Compelling the County Government of Nyamira to Buy Special Beds for Disabled Pregnant Women Bill, Richard Bosire who represents disabled persons said the women go through tough times during child birth.
"I was forced to bring this bill to this House after realising that pregnant disabled women were going through unimaginable problems in public maternity wards because the beds there are not accommodative," he said, while urging his colleagues to support the bill.
Nominated MCA Naomi Ondieki said the bill was important hence the need for members to deal with it to save the disabled women from the agony they go through in labour wards.
Efforts to shoot down the bill by Gesima MCA Atuti Nyameino that the motion had been brought to the House at a wrong time since the county budget which was passed in the assembly in June didn't cater for the purchase of special beds were opposed by a number of MCAs who said the issue had to be settled once and for all.
“This motion is good for all of us but it is coming at a wrong time when our budget for the year 2015/2016 was presented and passed in the assembly long time ago without this matter being brought up at committee stage," said Nyameino.
Kemera MCA Julius Matinga said if they failed to pass the motion, it would mean that the MCAs were not respecting the rights of disabled.
Vice chair of health committee in the assembly who is also a member of the county assembly representing Bokeira ward Karen Atuya said when women are in labour their cases are dealt as an emergency and so urged the Mcas to deal with the matter as an emergency.
The members passed the motion unanimously and is now awaiting Governor John Nyangarama’s assent.