Managements of Children’s Homes from Machakos and Kajiado Counties have been told to be at the fore front in fighting child mortality by offering children under their custody quality medication.
Dr. Joyce Mbula of Hifadhi Siha Medical and Diagnostics Centre in Kitengela said the Homes should make it a routine to conduct medical check ups to new children joining the Homes during admissions as a preventive measure to avoid infecting those already in the Homes.
"There is need for Children’s Homes to conduct check ups of new children joining the homes given that they are drawn from different various backgrounds and environments,” said Dr. Mbula.
She said the check ups help in identifying any special medical needs or infections that could be easily spread and manage them while at an early stage to avoid complications.
Dr. Mbula said the Homes should also practice equity in diseases prevention, protection, care and treatment among the children as stipulated in the UN convention on the rights of children.
She urged the institutions to pay a lot of attention to health of children under their custody by determining their immunisation and nutritional status to prevent them from falling sick as a way of eliminating child mortality in the country.
Dr. Mbula made the remarks at Kenya Kids Children’s Home in Kitengela town on Sunday where she conducted medical check ups to new batch of 22 children admitted to the Home early this year.
She said her health facility had launched an intensive programme which incorporates awareness and capacity building of managements of Children’s Homes in both Kajiado and Machakos Counties, alongside conducting frequent medical check ups in the Homes within the regions.
Dr. Mbula lauded management of the Home for setting pace for managers of other Homes arguing that the move would compliment the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta’s, Beyond Zero Campaign.