The new Health CeC Ahmednadhir Omar speaking to the media in Daadab. The county is committed to ending the cases of maternal deaths. (Photo- Victor Wanaswa)]The Garissa county government is committed to bringing down the maternal deaths among women in the region that is ranked among the highest in the country.
According to the new health CeC Ahmednadhir Omar, this can be achieved through cooperation between development partners, the national and the county governments.
According to Kenya demographic health survey 2014, Garissa is ranked among the 15 worst performing counties with 646 deaths per every 100,000 live births.
Speaking in Daadab during the handing over of a fully furnished maternity wing at the sub-county hospital funded by Unicef and UKaid, Omar said that the biggest cause of deaths among expectant mothers is the long distance they have to cover in accessing health care services.
The fully furnished maternity wing which can handle 25 deliveries daily has an incubator, a phototherapy machine, an ultrasound machine, X-ray machines, specialized beds and a fully fledged theater.
“We are determined to bring down these figures by first establishing comprehensive maternity services in our rural health centers where most of these deaths occur,” said Omar.
Garissa County which boasts of a level 5 referral hospital and 8 sub-county hospitals, 59 dispensaries, and health centers has seen improved healthcare services since devolution comes into effect.
Omar said that the county will strive to make sure that all the 8 sub-county hospitals have fully functional modern maternity wings.
He also said that apart from providing health facilities, the county must motivate skilled health workers in a bid to retain them.
“We can have the best-equipped facilities, but without a motivated workforce all our efforts to improve healthcare services will be in vain,” said Omar.