The chairperson of Midwives Association of Kenya Louisa Muteti has urged the government to employ more midwives and ensure that maternity wings are fully equipped.
Muteti said this will reduce maternal deaths due to high quality services that will be offered.
"At the moment Kenya has only 40,000 nurses and midwives who are supposed to attend to expectant mothers across the country," she said.
Speaking during the midwives' annual Scientific Conference in Eldoret Bomma Inn Hotel on Wednesday meant to improve service delivery, Muteti applauded the government's initiative of free maternity that has ensured thousands of safe delivery.
"Since the national government rolled out this program and engaged county governments, maternal deaths have reduced from 488 per 1,000 children born, to 362 per 1,000, and we are expecting it to come down," she said.
She urged all expectant mothers to ensure that they visit clinics regularly.
Muteti said this will ensure that the child and mother does not have complications, and if any, is fixed early.
She also called upon county governments to stop mistreating nurses by allegedly paying them peanuts despite the good work they do.