Machakos First Lady Lilian Nganga has asked pregnant women in the county to attend pre-natal clinics to avert dangers associated with child birth.
Addressing reporters after launching free cancer screening exercise at Kathiani sub county hospital yesterday, the First Lady observed that many women are not seeking pre-natal clinics.
She said it is dangerous for women to ignore pre-natal clinics which she observed that reduce child birth complications.
“I want to encourage pregnant women to go for pre-natal clinics to reduce the complications experienced during child birth,” she said.
The First Lady said all public hospitals and clinics in Machakos are offering free maternal services and that women should feel free to visit them.
She said the move by the national government to waive maternal fee early last year has helped and seen many pregnant mothers access free medical care.
She said that the health of the mother is crucial to the survival of the unborn child adding that the county government has initiated plans to ensure residents access quality medical care.
The governor’s wife at the same challenged men to go for regularly cancer screenings observing that prostate cancer exists just like the cervical and breast cancer.
She said that men are reluctant to go for screening thinking that the disease if for women. “I want to tell men that cancer is not a disease for women alone,” she said.
She said that cancer just like HIV Aids poses a great danger to the county’s socio-economic development.
The First lady called for public-private sector partnerships in the fight against cancer and diseases that poses risk to the society.
Nganga pledged to initiate various programmes meant to create awareness on the existence of cancer which she said can be prevented and healed when detected early.