Residents of Faza, Lamu County, Welcome Newborn Unit Built by Safaricom Foundation

Residents of Faza Lamu County will benefit from a newborn unit constructed by Safaricom Foundation. The maternal health facility at Faza sub-county hospital which is valued at KES 8 million is expected to boost maternal and neo-natal health services in Faza and its environs.

The health facility has been equipped with incubators, oxygen masks for newborn babies, a phototherapy unit, and digital equipment such as computers and digital baby scales among others.

“Women in Faza Island faced challenges in accessing maternal health services which forced them to travel for at least 3 hours for maternal care and delivery. These long journeys caused maternal health complications which led to deaths of at least 2 children and women per month because of unavailability of skilled maternal care,” said Dr. Maddy Zuber, the medical superintendent of the hospital.

In February this year, Safaricom Foundation in partnership with the County Government of Lamu, handed over a maternal shelter in Witu worth KES 6.8 million.

The construction and equipping of the two centres is part of the foundation’s Maternal and Newborn Health Programme, launched in Lamu last year.

Under the programme the foundation has set aside KES 132 million for three years to promote Maternal, Newborn and Child Health services around the country.

In July last year Safaricom Foundation partnered with Mombasa County to equip the Maternal High Dependency Unit at the Coast Provincial General Hospital.

“We want to advocate for access to maternal, neonatal and child health services health financing to ensure communities have access to healthcare when they need it and lastly use of technology to improve efficiency for results,” said Safaricom Foundation Trustee , Rita Okuthe.

The partnership between the County Government of Lamu and Safaricom Foundation seeks to increase access to maternal, neonatal and child health services by training health workers, improving healthcare infrastructure and referral system for maternal, newborn and child health.