Homa Bay County has launched its second newborn unit at Rachuonyo Sub-County Hospital in a major step toward improving neonatal and child healthcare services in the region.
The facility, officially opened on Thursday, is expected to reduce congestion at the county referral hospital while improving access to life-saving care for newborns born prematurely or with complications.
It is also expected to significantly improve newborn survival rates and enhance access to specialized neonatal care for families in Rachuonyo and neighboring areas.
Speaking during the launch, County Pediatrician Dr. Maria Ogaya Gerald said the new unit demonstrates the county’s commitment to reducing neonatal mortality and improving child health outcomes.
“Our neonatal mortality rate currently stands at 32 deaths per 1,000 live births, which is almost three times higher than the Sustainable Development Goal target of 12 deaths per 1,000 live births,” she said.
Dr. Gerald noted that studies have shown that scaling up neonatal care services by 80 percent across sub-county and county hospitals could avert up to 47,000 neonatal deaths and help Kenya achieve its SDG targets.
She welcomed the establishment of the newborn unit at Rachuonyo Sub-County Hospital, saying the facility records about 1,500 births annually, making the unit both necessary and timely.
“For every 1,000 births in a health facility, there is a need for three to four newborn beds, and that is exactly what we now have here,” she said.
The unit is equipped with incubators, phototherapy machines, piped oxygen systems, and monitoring equipment to support newborns requiring specialized care.
Dr. Gerald added that the facility will help reduce unnecessary referrals and improve emergency response during transfers.
“In the past, many children suffered hypothermia during ambulance transfers to the county referral hospital, and some unfortunately died before receiving care. This unit will help avert such deaths by reducing the need for transfers and improving neonatal care closer to the community,” she explained.
The facility will operate as a Level Two newborn unit, capable of managing neonatal sepsis, jaundice, and respiratory complications using Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines donated by development partners.
Jhpiego Kenya Country Director Paul Nyachae said the organization has partnered with the Homa Bay County Government for more than five years to strengthen maternal, newborn, and child health services.
“We are happy to join the county team in launching this newborn unit because our goal is to ensure that all children born in Homa Bay survive and thrive,” Nyachae said.
He revealed that Jhpiego and the county government jointly invested approximately Sh30 million in newborn healthcare infrastructure and equipment across various health facilities in the county.
“For every mother lost, there are about six newborns dying. That is why we felt there was a need to invest more in newborn healthcare,” he added.
Nyachae praised the county government for deploying nurses and pediatricians to support the facility but called for the recruitment of more healthcare workers to strengthen service delivery.
Homa Bay County Director of Health Dr. Gordon Okomo described the launch as a milestone in the county’s efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
“This may look like a small facility, but it is a sign of hope for our children and infants, a place where they can get a good start in life,” he said.
Dr. Okomo noted that Rachuonyo South Sub-County has a large population and previously relied heavily on referrals to the county referral hospital.
“We want to close the tap from this end by ensuring that newborns can access quality care here without overwhelming the referral hospital,” he said.
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga commended Jhpiego for its partnership and support in advancing maternal and child healthcare in the county.
“Through this partnership, medical equipment worth approximately Sh30 million has been distributed across all sub-counties in Homa Bay,” Governor Wanga said.
She added that the new newborn unit will help improve survival chances for newborns by bringing specialized services closer to communities and reducing unnecessary referrals to the county referral hospital.
“This is why this newborn unit which is second after the county referral hospital’s unit, is so important. It will enable us to better manage neonatal infections and birth-related complications while bringing life-saving services closer to our people,” she said.
She added that healthcare workers have also received training in comprehensive newborn care, emergency response, immunization, and nutrition.
“Newborn health remains one of the most urgent priorities in our healthcare system. In Kenya today, neonatal deaths account for nearly 47 percent mortality rate in children under five and many of these deaths are preventable through simple, timely, and high-quality interventions,” she said.
Governor Wanga highlighted the county’s ongoing efforts to strengthen healthcare services through the recent recruitment of 90 additional healthcare workers and expansion of healthcare infrastructure at sub-county facilities.
“By strengthening services at the sub-county level, we are reducing pressure on referral hospitals while ensuring our people can access quality healthcare closer to where they live,” she said.
She also praised community health promoters for their role in ensuring mothers attend clinics, children receive immunizations, and healthcare services reach households across the county.
“As we launch this newborn unit today, let us remember our collective responsibility to ensure every child born in Homa Bay gets the best possible start in life,” said the governor.
By Sitna Omar
