The County First Ladies’ Association has donated medical kits to the County Government of Marsabit, geared towards improving the delivery of health services to residents. The donation presented to the County Governor’s spouse, Alamitu Jattani, and the Department of Health Leadership at the County referral hospital by the association vice chairperson, Agnes Ochilo, comprised of 500 sets of scrubs worth Sh7.5 million. The donation is expected to boost Ms. Jattani’s efforts in advocating for effective delivery of quality health services and the wellbeing of the residents of Marsabit, especially women. Mrs. Ochilo, who is the spouse of Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko, called on health workers in the county to spearhead the campaign against cancer by encouraging locals to go for screening and treatment. She pointed out that a cancer clinic established and equipped at the hospital should be made use of in order to check on the spread of the disease and lessen the suffering of those ailing. The governor’s spouse decried the low rate of response by women to be screened for cervical and breast cancer and urged that the campaign be heightened. The four sub-county hospitals, namely Kalacha, Laisamis, Moyale, and Sololo, would also benefit from the donations. The ceremony, which was also witnessed by Beatrice Sakaja (Nairobi), Sabina Mwadime (Taita Taveta), and Rukia Mohamed (Mandera), was preceded by a belated celebration of the international day of the girl child that was held at the local Catholic social hall. Kenya Paediatric Association (KPA) donated dignity packs for distribution to girls in need before proceeding to crown Mrs. Alamitu Jattani for steering Championing Evidence-Based Advocacy (CEBA) for primary health care. Through her endeavour, Ms. Jattani has been instrumental in the implementation of reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and Child Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAHAN), which has made the county make big strides in the provision of accessible and quality health care. Ms. Jattani has also been at the forefront in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the county, which saw her initiate an alternative rite of passage programme to safeguard girls from female genital mutilation (FGM). The county first ladies present rooted for education for all children, irrespective of gender, saying that was the only way the country could achieve meaningful development. They further called for an enhanced fight against FGM and forced marriages not only among communities in Marsabit but countrywide in order to effectively curtail unwanted pregnancies among the youth. ‘I want to urge parents to prioritise the education of their children, as that is the only way you can prepare them for a bright future,’ said Ms. Ochilo, reminding children that they also have the responsibility of taking care of their parents in old age. Marsabit Governor Mohamud Ali, who attended the crowning ceremony, said his administration was teaming up with partners to ensure that there was an enabling working environment for health personnel in the county. The governor added that budget allocations to the health sector would continue to be increased so as to ensure that there were adequate drugs and medical equipment. He reiterated the importance of primary health care, which he noted went hand in hand with a literate population, and asked parents to invest in the education of their children. The long-day event was also attended by the local CEC for Health, Galmo Boru, the head of the Kenya Paediatric Research Consortium, Dr. Michuki Maina, and the CEC for Culture and Tourism, Jeremmy Ledanyi.

Source: Kenya News Agency