The Nairobi County Government has started building an additional newborn unit at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital to address overcrowding and the difficulties mothers face when trying to give birth in Nairobi County.
According to the devolved unit, the new unit will have an additional 53 beds to help address critical health challenges, such as the high maternal mortality rates.
Currently, Pumwani Hospital is the only major delivery unit, handling 25,000 to 30,000 deliveries per year, with thousands of mothers seeking delivery services there.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Fredrick Obwanda, described the project as a milestone in tackling the long-standing issue of overcrowding. He noted that the new unit would provide adequate space for mothers and improve the quality of neonatal care.
''Congestion has been one of our biggest challenges. The construction of this unit will provide enough space for mothers and promote skin-to-skin (kangaroo mother) care,'' Obwanda said.
The hospital’s Board Chair, Dr Dorcus Kemunto, emphasised that the project will not only reduce congestion but also restore dignity to mothers and newborns through a zero-separation approach.
''Access to maternal health remains a challenge for many families, especially in densely populated, low-income areas where infrastructure is limited. This project directly addresses those gaps by prioritising maternal and child health,'' added Kemunto.
The developments come less than a day after Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) raised concerns over the sudden upsurge of sick patients from both Kiambu and Nairobi counties as a result of the ongoing medics' strike.
KNH acting CEO, Dr Richard Lesiyampe, stated that the hospital had been receiving a larger number of patients than its normal capacity.
This has seen the level six hospital becoming the main point of care for patients in need of urgent treatment in both regions, with Lesiyampe noting that several departments, especially the maternity one, had been bearing the brunt of the crisis.
Reportedly, the maternity department has had to handle double its normal intake, with some cases getting to KNH too late, which has thus led to mortalities.
This comes just days after the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) alleged that at least 136 babies had passed on during the over four-month strike, a number that Kiambu County claimed was exaggerated.
The county's Health Officer, Patrick Nyagah, denied the allegations, claiming that the union had given the number to cause alarm and paint an inaccurate picture of the current situation.
