Relief as Kwale County builds first ever mother-baby unit at Sh36.2m

Kwale residents have a reason to celebrate as the county has started constructing a Sh36.2 million mother-baby unit to accommodate an increasing number of newborns requiring special medical care.

The facility is the first of its kind in Kwale and is expected to serve residents across the county starting in July, taking just three months to complete.

It is being sponsored by the M-Pesa Foundation and will be constructed at the Msambweni County Referral Hospital, the second largest referral facility in the coast region after Mombasa Coast General Hospital.

M-Pesa Foundation Trustee Anne Eriksson and Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani sign off on the construction of a mother and baby unit at the Msambweni County Referral Hospital, on April 27, 2024. (Photo: Mishi Gongo)

The facility will have amenities including a modern intensive care unit for babies, high-dependency nursery rooms, a kangaroo room, laundry services, and a staff lodge.

It is a welcome relief for locals, as the hospital currently handles just a handful of newborns needing special care, so some cases are transferred to Coast General.

Speaking during the stone-laying ceremony on Friday, Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani noted that the facility, expected to begin operations in July, will be a major boost for the maternity wing. The governor admitted to a scarcity of equipment to care for neonates requiring special care.

"We will be able to give our people quality service. This project aims to improve maternal and infant survival rates. I am grateful to the M-Pesa Foundation, as this project will go a long way in providing quality health care to our mothers and newborns," she said.

Kwale County residents witness the commencement of the construction of a mother and baby unit at the Msambweni County Referral Hospital on April 27, 2024, a project sponsored by the M-Pesa Foundation. (Photo: Mishi Gongo)

Fatuma also spoke about the doctors' strike, which began on March 15, 2024, warning Kwale's doctors against taking part as they have received their payments every month without fail.

A spot check by The Eastleigh Voice found doctors at the Msambwenui and Kwale hospitals—the two major ones in the county—on a go-slow and attending to emergency cases only.

Anne Eriksson, a trustee at the M-Pesa Foundation, said they are at the forefront of efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality in Kenya.

Eriksson noted that the foundation has consistently partnered with Kwale County on several projects, including the Nyalani dam project, which resolved a water problem in parts of Kinango Sub-county.

"Over the past few years, the M-Pesa and Safaricom foundations have invested over Sh316 million for various projects, including the Nyalani dam, and in the educational sector," she said, adding the projects would be handed over in a few months. She also pledged more support in the future.

M-Pesa Foundation Trustee Anne Eriksson lays a foundation stone upon the start of the construction of a mother and baby unit at the Msambweni County Referral Hospital in Kwale County on April 27, 2024. (Photo: Mishi Gongo)

Ramisi Ward Representative Hanifa Mwajirani said projects in the county have been influenced largely by its good relationships with various partners.

Hanifa noted that many patients depended on private facilities and the Coast General for maternal and newborn care, incurring high costs of travelling to other counties, in addition to high medical bills.

"I am very grateful to our governor for bringing this life-changing project to our area. I also thank the Safaricom Foundation for supporting us in various projects across our ward," she said.

Resident Mwanahamisi Mwajaliza noted that with such services "at the doorstep," healthcare costs would decline, to the benefit of the poor in particular.

"The facility will save us the time and money spent seeking special services from other counties and private hospitals," she said.