News Categories: Health and Sanitation

WASH services in healthcare facilities are fundamental to the provision of quality, people-centred care.

The lack of safe water, functional toilets and hand washing facilities in healthcare settings poses significant health risks to patients, healthcare workers and nearby communities.

Waterlines USA handed over a water harvesting project to Lolkeringet Health Centre in Kabiyet Ward, Mosop Sub County.

Waterlines Director Diane Reimers said “This has truly been a collaborative journey with the community, the contractor and the County Government of Nandi. The idea of building a water harvesting tank is truly heartwarming to witness the idea that came to pass.”

Speaking during the occasion, Waterlines Mark Reimers quipped, “Waterlines USA is excited to be part of this water and sanitation project. The handover of this 50,000 litre water harvesting tank, is creating impact and changing lives, that’s why we are at Lolkeringet Health Centre today.”

The CEC for Health Ruth Koech thanked the organization. “Water plays an important role in the health care field, for Waterlines, we can’t thank you enough for your support,” she said.

WASH in healthcare facilities provides the basis for “do no harm” and plays a critical role in infection control.

Present at the event were the County Director for Health Dr. David Bungei and Kabiyet Ward Administrator.

A five-month-old boy, Allan Kipyego from Kabianga in Kericho County is among beneficiaries of a two day free medical/surgical camp sponsored by the County Government of Nandi in partnership with BelaRisu Foundation and Smile Train.

Allan Kipyego is among the over 30 patients who have been screened in the first day of the medical camp. His father Peter Boit and mother Agnes Boit could not hide their joy and expressed their gratitude to the County Government of Nandi, BelaRisu Foundation and Smile Train for organizing the free medical camp.

CEC Ruth Koech & Director for Health Dr. David Bungei checking on Viola Ntaanu’s Baby from Makueni scheduled for surgery

The CEC for Health Ruth Koech urged parents with children suffering from such conditions to take advantage of the free medical camp that goes on till Saturday.

On his part, the County Director for Health Dr. David Bungei called on locals to seek early treatment to avoid preventable complications.

World Cancer Day is an international day marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.

World Cancer Day (WCD) 2020 marks the launch of the 4 -year ‘I Am and I Will’ campaign. According to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), which leads WCD, ‘I Am and I Will’ is an empowering call to action, asking individuals to make a personal commitment to help reduce the impact of cancer.

Whoever you are – a cancer survivor, co-worker, carer, friend, business leader, healthcare worker, teacher or student – ‘I A m and I Will’ represents the power of individual action taken now to impact the future.

This year’s commemoration will be held at the Kapsabet County Referral Hospital. Activities on the day will include; Free mammography, Clinical breast examination cancer, papsmear and Health Education.

The County Government of Nandi has partnered with BelaRisu Foundation and Smile Train to host the annual free surgical cleft lip and palate correction camp from January 30th to 31st at the Nandi Hills County Hospital to restore smiles of many children born with the condition.

A cleft lip is an opening or split in the upper lip that occurs when developing facial structures in the fetus do not close completely. A cleft palate is an opening or split in the roof of the mouth that occurs when the tissue doesn’t fuse together during development in the womb.

Residents who have children with the condition are being urged to register and turn up in large numbers at Nandi Hills Hospital on the planned dates so that they can benefit from the free services.

The County Government of Nandi is set to announce a new initiative with Eastern Produce Kenya (EPK), London-based Tea Company, Twinings, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) Plus project. The initiative is aimed at strengthening primary and community healthcare in the County. The leading tea companies are coming on board as the first private sector partners to establish a partnership with the county for accelerating primary healthcare transformation in support of universal health coverage.

“The County Government of Nandi is committed to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage. We are open to fostering partnerships that are dynamic and mutually beneficial and we foresee great potential in this partnership” said Ruth Koech, CEC for Health.

The partnership will harness the talent, expertise, technology, and resources of the private sector, in alignment and close collaboration with the County Government of Nandi.

The partnership will bring in resources from the community, Sireet OEP, Twinings, Eastern Produce Kenya, and USAID, and will be implemented with the support of two organizations working with Eastern Produce Kenya: SHOPS Plus and Afya Research Africa (ARA). R. Twinings co. Limited. A UK tea blender that has an ethical sourcing program called “Sourced with Care,” which ensures that the company sources responsibly and acts as force for good to improve quality of life in the communities from which the company sources around the world. SHOPS Plus is USAID’s flagship initiative in private sector health, which seeks to harness the full potential of the private sector and catalyze public-private engagement to improve health outcomes in family planning, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and other health areas. ARA is Kenyan non-profit organization that focuses on sustainable solutions that tackle access, cost, and quality issues associated with healthcare services in Kenya.

The pilot program will refurbish, equip and strengthen the capacity of a local health facility that serves many of EPK’s tea workers, working closely with local community to ensure the quality and sustainability of services. The Chepsire facility had benefited from an investment from Sireet OEP in a structure that is partially complete. This will be refurbished, completed and equipped for improved services.

Earlier today, the CEC for Health Ruth Koech and officials from Eastern Produce Kenya led by Leah Kibii, Company Director at Eastern Produce Kenya held a consultative meeting towards the realization of the partnership. Present at the meeting were the Chief Officer Water and Sanitation Sally Kemboi, Director for Health Dr. David Bungei, Kapsabet County Referral Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Daniel Kemboi and his Nandi Hills and Meteitei Sub County Hospital counterparts Dr. Joseph Kangor and Dr. Kibor and also the Deputy Director Monitoring and Evaluation Mathew Rotich.

The County Government of Nandi today signed the Intergovernmental Participation Agreement (IPA) paving the way for the commissioning of UHC scale up in the county.

Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki presided over the signing of the agreement, which stipulates the roles for both national and county governments in the implementation of UHC.

Under the IPA key areas have been prioritized for investment in the scale up of UHC based on the lessons learnt in the UHC pilot exercise. The priority areas include progressive move towards increasing the human resource for health to enhance access to health services.

Speaking at the event, Nandi Governor Stephen Sang said the county is already putting emphasis on some key areas such as the scaling up maternal and child health, immunization coverage, prevention of non-communicable diseases particularly diabetes and hypertension, prevention of water borne, TB and HIV sexually transmitted diseases among others.

“Focus has been made on preventable and primary health care taking steps towards developing reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health,” he added.

He called on NHIF to give priority to public hospitals. He urged the national Government to support counties in the establishment of level 5 Hospitals in all the 47 counties.

The County Government of Nandi and the National Government have committed to recruit additional skilled human resources which includes engagement of the interns through the Youth Empowerment Program.

Under the IPA, the County Government of Nandi is required to allocate a minimum of 30% of the respective county budget to health and progressively increase it.

The National Government will this financial year 2019/20 invest Kshs 41.9 billion in key strategic areas informed by lessons learnt from the pilot and existing health system gaps in Human Resource for health, Commodities, Primary Health Care services, Community Health services and service delivery to supplement county government investments.

The National Government also committed to supplement county allocations for the supply of essential medicines and medical supplies including laboratory commodities to be made available to public health facilities in Kenya through the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority.

So far the UHC Pilot Programme in Machakos, Kisumu, Isiolo and Nyeri has seen increased utilization in services ranging from 20% to 50% across the four counties.

Also present was the CEC for Health Ruth Koech and North Rift Economic Bloc Governors.

Nandi residents have been urged to utilize public health facilities within the county that have been upgraded by the county government and now offer quality and affordable medical services.

Nandi Governor Stephen Sang said that in curative healthcare, his administration has invested in improvement of facilities starting with the Kapsabet County Referral and Nandi Hills County Hospitals.

He added that MRI, CT Scan, Dialysis unit, operation theaters and maternity wings in Kapsabet and Nandi hills hospitals were equipped with modern machines through funding from the County Government of Nandi.

Governor Sang said in preventive healthcare services, the county has put in place measures to ensure that Nandi residents are free of preventable illnesses.

He was speaking at the Kapsabet County Referral Hospital after receiving Shs 50 million worth of drugs and non pharmaceuticals that will be supplied to health facilities across the county.

Governor Sang called on KEMSA to be timely with delivery of the drugs so as to meet the needs of patients in the county. He cited the Law barring counties from buying drugs outside KEMSA as the cause of delays, as has been witnessed in disbursement of the supplies to counties in the recent past.

The governor said the batch received will sustain Nandi hospitals for the next three months.

He further explained that his administration is upgrading facilities to benefit Nandi residents. ”The construction of Kabiyet, Nandi Hills, Meteitei Maternity wing are almost complete,” he said.

Sang stated that Nandi Hills as well as Chepterwai Hospitals, would be fitted with fully-equipped trauma centres.

Present at the event were the Chief Officer for Health Dr. Paul Lagat, Director for Health Dr. David Bungei and Kapsabet County Referral Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Daniel Kemboi.

The United States Ambassador to Kenya, Kyle McCarter will be on his first visit to Nandi to visit ongoing US supported projects with the County government. During the one day visit, Ambassador Kyle will engage with county and national government officials, NGOs and local business representatives. He is scheduled to visit several projects including the ongoing construction of Kapsabet Mother and Baby Hospital Complex and officially open the Nandi Hills integrated comprehensive care centre (CCC).

The over 300 bed capacity Kapsabet Mother and Baby Hospital complex will boast of a High Dependence Unit (HDU), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Emergency and Response Unit. Other features are state-of-the-art theatres and a Cancer Screening Centre.

Governor Stephen Sang’s administration is keen on ensuring all patients are treated within the county and not referred to far-flung facilities.

The Nandi hills integrated out-patient comprehensive care centre (CCC) at Nandi Hills County Hospital was constructed with ~$200,000 (KSh 20,000,000) PEPFAR Funds from the US Government. The facility will improve service delivery to over 10,000 mothers and their Children and approximately 4,000 HIV positive individuals.

It currently serves as a referral center for over 11 facilities offering HIV care and treatment and over 70 facilities offering Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services. The CCC was constructed to enable the facility cope with the increasing number of patients and referrals.

The US envoy is expected to interact with the health care workers at the various service delivery points within the Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC) and learn more about the U.S government’s financial support towards the provision of quality HIV/TB prevention, treatment and care services.

The County has over the years partnered with PEPFAR to enable the HIV Program to address most of its challenges such as improvement of infrastructure through renovations, procurement of furniture, capacity building, procurement of medical and laboratory equipment, procurement of drugs and delivery of related supplies. These activities have improved management of HIV/AIDS patients, increased enrollment of HIV infected into care and hence most clients in the program are able to continue with their normal activities.

In 2018, PEPFAR supported 149 personnel of different cadres including COs, NOs, Lab techs, Pharm Techs, Nutritionists, HTC providers, Mentor Mothers, Data Officer and Admin staff. These staff are stationed in various facilities, and deployed alongside the County staff. For over 10 years, these staff received a lot of capacity building through PEPFAR supported trainings and mentorship in HIV and Non-HIV related services including: HIV, TB; Sexual and Reproductive Health; Maternal and Child Health; Cervical Cancer screening and management; Gender Based Violence Management; Data management, Analysis, and use for Decision Making; Research, among other critical skills.

Due to decreased PEPFAR funding, and with a view to sustainability of the HIV response, the County Government of Nandi, after discussions with PEPFAR successfully transitioned all the Clinical Cadres to County Government payroll. This has ensured retention of highly trained staff in GoK service, and continuity of quality HIV services. This was made possible through pragmatic County leadership; and is an example to be emulated by other Counties for successful transition and sustainability of HIV services in Kenya.

Under the Walter Reed Project – Kenya (WRP) partnership with the County Government of Nandi, the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) HIV program supports HIV research and vaccine development efforts, as well as operational research and HIV prevention, care and treatment. The Program integrates HIV research and comprehensive care, which enables the team to achieve critical research goals while improving HIV treatment services for the region.

The Construction of a New Chepterwai Hospital Complex, will be Complete in one year’s time. The facility will comprise of a 32 bed capacity male and female wards , 4 bed capacity Intensive Care Units ,2 theaters, a blood bank, An imaging unit, a medical laboratory and Emergency rooms at a cost of 49 Million shillings.

Upon its completion it will serve the entire of Mosop Sub County which is one of the densely populated area in Nandi.

The Construction of Chepterwai Hospital complex is one of the strategies of ensuring provision of quality health care through improvement of health infrastructure and equipping of all facilities that the Governor Stephen Sang’s administration is employing to ensure that the access to quality and affordable healthcare as outlined under the UHC pillar under the Big 4 agenda through allocation of adequate resources in every fiscal cycle.

Architect Peter Joseph Odenyo, while on a site visit called on the contractor to adhere to the Bill of Quantities and timelines to ensure the construction completed in time.

Assistant Director Monitoring and Evaluation, Matthew Rotich also said that strict monitoring and evaluation processes will be regularly conducted in all projects being undertaken by the department to ensure that value for public money is realized.

Other new constructions in the health sector included Kapsabet County Referral Hospital Mother and Baby Complex, Kabiyet Hospital Complex, Kobujoi Hospital Complex, NandiHills Trauma Centre and Meteitei Hospital Maternity wing while another 90 other facilities undergoing renovations and facelift across the County,

The County Government of Nandi held a high-level consultative meeting with Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentist Union (KMPDU) north rift region officials.

The meeting was aimed at exchanging views on promotions, training and staffing.

The CEC for Health Ruth Koech pointed out that the meeting brought together representatives of various branches of KMPDU with health officials in Nandi in a bid to improve the good working relations between the two entities.