Following the recent reports of 60 infants dying at the Kiambu Level 5 Hospital since December, Kiambu’s public health system has been questioned.
This is not the first case which has drawn the public’s attention. Other cases of medical negligence in some of the county hospitals have sparked a fierce debate in the past.
In April 2018, Rose Waithera’s family was left mourning her death after a botched Caesarian Section at Gatundu hospital which left her intestines ruptured.
It is against this backdrop that a lobby group - Kiambu County Health Stakeholders – has undertaken an exercise to know how the health department in the county is working and communicating the findings with residents.
Under the patronage of Kiambu politician Gladys Chania, the members are mainly women drawn from all the 12 sub-counties of Kiambu County.
Last week, Kiambu CEC for health Mary Kamau took the group through the prospects and challenges that the county government has in the dispensation of health services.
From the meeting, the outfit will educate residents on how best to prevent illnesses in a bid to reduce the influx of patients flocking hospitals for treatment.
“Our part as a health stakeholders’ team is to see that there is enough of community health awareness done at the local level,” says Chania.
Chania also says that the group is playing a crucial role in advocating for change in the county hospitals which have lately been dogged by claims of poor services.
“It has reached a point in Kiambu that we find it wise to be the mediator for Wanjiku and the county health team. In as much as we talk and no solution and way forward is found, our people will still continue to suffer,” said Chania.
She also asked the CEC to engage the public before embarking on implementing major health projects.
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