Expectant mothers from the Kiptangwanyi area of Gilgil Sub-County in Nakuru County have a reason to celebrate after the County Government, in partnership with World Vision and a Japanese firm, Shionogi and Company Limited, commissioned a Sh25 million maternity unit to boost maternal healthcare in the remote village.
The facility comes as a relief for expectant mothers who have been relying on Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital nearly 60 km away from the area.
Deputy Governor David Kones, who commissioned the facility, said the 24-bed maternity unit will help to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in Gilgil Sub-County and neighbouring areas.
He explained that in Elementaita Ward, approximately 1,849 women receive antenatal services annually, with the number expected to increase with the availability of the new modern maternity unit, as the initiative aims at enhancing maternal and child health by improving healthcare services, reducing congestion, and cutting down on the long distances mothers travel for maternity care.
