Migori: The MPESA Foundation has officially handed over a fully equipped maternal and newborn unit to Migori County to help improve maternal healthcare services.
According to Kenya News Agency, during the handover ceremony at Awendo Sub-County Hospital, the M-Pesa Foundation Chairperson, Joe Ogutu, stated that the foundation undertook the initiative in consultation with the Migori county government to reduce maternal deaths and complications in the county. The county has the highest maternal rate in the country, with 550-600 child deaths per year, and Ogutu emphasized the need for serious interventions to address the issue.
The facility, considered among the best in the country, is fully operational with the latest equipment, staffed and stocked to serve at least 145,000 people from Awendo and Uriri Sub Counties in Migori, as well as neighboring Homabay and Kisii Counties. It features modern maternity wards, neonatal intensive care, delivery rooms, and offers antenatal and postnatal services, ensuring comprehensive care for mothers and babies.
Ogutu expressed confidence that the new facility will help reduce maternal deaths from 550 to 300 over the next two years, offering hope to women who aspire to motherhood. Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko noted that the county has recruited healthcare workers and equipped the hospital with medical supplies to ensure optimal operation of the new maternal unit.
Governor Ayacko highlighted the facility's role in providing accessible and compassionate services to mothers, contributing to healthier families and a stronger future for the Migori community. He also mentioned plans to expand the facility's services and digitize healthcare across the county to enhance standards.
The governor thanked Mpesa Foundation and Lwala Community Alliance NGO for their support in delivering better, affordable, and quality healthcare services to Migori residents. The new maternal unit at Awendo Sub-County Hospital joins similar facilities at Rongo and Kehancha Sub-County hospitals and the Migori Referral Hospital, bringing the total to four in the county.