How investments in Kwale's health save lives of mothers, babies
For many years, Kwale was one of the counties with high rates of maternal deaths owing to limited access to life-saving services that could improve the well-being of mothers and their babies.
Without medical attention during critical hours of delivery, expectant women had a difficult time trying to access emergency services, especially in far-flung areas.
However, the situation has changed after the county put up more dispensaries in at least each ward.
This has increased the number of women delivering in health centres, and in turn decreased cases of maternal due to its affordability and advanced treatment services.
Roseline Kavata, a resident of Deri in Matuga sub-county, is the mother of five but delivered only two of her children in hospital.
“My first three children were born at home because at that time, the hospitals were far away and I could not access them. Many midwives in the village could help,” she said.
She is among women in Kwale who have successfully given birth from home but are now relying on services provided by dispensaries near them.
For instance, in Deri Dispensary, where Ms Kavata attends her clinics, at least 24 women give birth and attend clinic services every month, according to Kwale nursing officer Martin Mwanzia.
For Tumaini Limoshi, a resident of Nyango, one of the remotest places in Kinango sub-county, she almost lost her twins after she developed birth complications at home.
A few years ago, Ms Limoshi would not only have risked being attacked by wild animals on her long trek to the health centre but would also miss out on key medical checkups. This has, however, changed.
“Luckily, the hospital was nearby and they did a scan and told me that I was going to have twins. Later, I gave birth in the dispensary,” she said.
She explained that she could have endangered her life and those of her twins if she had opted to deliver at home, because she said midwives cannot measure the blood pressure of a mother or scan to check on the status of the unborn child.
According to data from the Kwale County department of health, the number of women who now deliver in hospitals has risen, reducing the number of maternal deaths from 560 to 35 out of 100,000 live births in hospitals.
“Before 2015, we would record an average of at least 560 women every year who died due to birth complications. Right now, our data shows that only 35 out of 100,000 live births die in hospitals. At least 75 per cent of our women are also getting maternal services from health centres,” said Kwale County Nursing Officer Edward Mumbo.
He explained that the majority died from birth complications and excess bleeding as they relied on midwives and inferior techniques to give birth because there were no health facilities nearby.
Other than that, most Kwale residents would only rely on neighbouring Kilifi and Mombasa counties for advanced health services such as caesarean births.
But this has changed too as at least each of the sub-counties of Msambweni, Lungalunga, Kinango and Matuga has theatre services staffed by qualified doctors and staff.
Kwale has 510 medical practitioners who offer improved health services, unlike before when it had only 210.
But the dispensaries, Mr Mumbo said, have not only helped during deliveries but have also exposed women to modern family planning education and how to access the services.
Mr Mumbo explained that doctors in remote dispensaries collaborate with community health volunteers to create awareness on the importance of giving birth in hospitals, attending clinics and immunising the newborns.
“In the past, residents used to fear family planning pills and injections. There were misconceptions that they make people impotent and contribute to health complications for women using them. But this has changed,” he said.
According to Emmaculate Mwanzia, a nurse at Nyando Dispensary, the number of women getting maternal services at the facility has been on the rise since 2019.
She said the area's health dispensary attends to approximately 80 per cent of women giving birth per year. In February alone this year, 11 women were served at the facility.
“We have always had safe births. No deaths have been recorded this year,” she said.
To ensure that medical staff are available, the county government has been building staff houses for dispensaries located in remote areas.
During the opening of Kiwegu Dispensary earlier this year, Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya said his administration was committed to improving health services.
"We are bridging the gap and changing the narrative of pregnant women having to walk long distances in search of healthcare services," he said. BY DAILY NATION

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