Kisumu County has commenced preparations for the construction of a 250-bed comprehensive Mother and Child Hospital at the Kisumu County Referral Hospital, with the old structures at the proposed site already demolished to pave the way for the facility.
Medical Services, Public Health, and Sanitation County Executive Committee Member Dr. Gregory Ganda said old staff houses had been cleared and the incinerator relocated to create room for the project.
Dr. Ganda said the project was part of a commitment made by President William Ruto to Kisumu leaders during his visit to the county, which was reaffirmed last week during a meeting between the Health Cabinet Secretary and Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o.
The planned facility will bring specialised maternal and newborn services under one roof, reducing the need for mothers and critically ill newborns to seek specialised care outside the county.
The hospital will have two theaters dedicated to maternal care and two neonatal theaters, as well as a Maternal High Dependency Unit and a Maternal Intensive Care Unit. It will also house a newborn unit and neonatal intensive care unit, hostels for mothers whose babies are admitted to the newborn unit and comprehensive outpatient services.
Dr. Ganda said the project would strengthen Kisumu’s capacity to provide specialised maternal and newborn care closer to residents. “This is more than a new building. It is an investment in the safety of mothers and newborns and boosts the capacity of Kisumu County to provide increasingly specialised care close to home,” he said.
He said the clearing of the site marked the beginning of the project, adding that the county was working with national government officials to ensure Kisumu benefits from the planned investment.
Dr. Ganda thanked Public Service Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga, Dr Hezron Omollo, and Dr. W. Aruasa for their efforts towards ensuring the project takes off.
By Faith Lumumba
