At least 14,889 residents in Nanam, Songot, and Lokichoggio Wards are set to directly benefit from improved maternal and newborn health services following the unveiling of the new Maternal and Newborn Health Block at Lopiding Sub-County Hospital.
The overall catchment population of Lokichoggio Sub-County, which stands at 68,000 people, and communities from South Sudan will also benefit by extension.
The facility was officially launched by the County Executive for Health and Sanitation, Dr Epem Joseph Esekon, during a handover ceremony led by Safaricom Foundation Chairman Joseph Ogutu.
The M-Pesa Foundation invested Sh49 million in the new block, which is expected to significantly enhance safe deliveries, newborn care, and immunization services within the region.
As part of the event, a free medical camp was held in collaboration with the County Government and the M-Pesa Foundation, offering essential health services to hundreds of residents.
Hospital records show an average of 52 estimated monthly deliveries, with approximately 621 expected annually. The facility is also projected to support at least 2,100 children under five and 585 infants under one year through routine immunization and additional newborn care services.
The new block is fully equipped and fitted with air-conditioning and CCTV for safety and comfort.
It houses a nursing station, triage area, two consultation rooms, two delivery rooms with delivery beds, two labour rooms, and a newborn unit with two incubators, a pharmacy, a phototherapy machine, two resuscitators, a neonatal monitor, and an N-CPAP machine. It also features a Kangaroo Mother Care room with 10 baby cots, a 10-bed postnatal ward, and a 10-bed antenatal ward.
Additional amenities include a waiting bay with a reception area, a kitchen and storage area, a cold room, and both male and female staff washrooms and changing rooms, among other support facilities.
By Peter Gitonga
