Rotary Club of Nairobi Thika Road responds to a maternal and Child health need in a Dispensary in Nakuru
The Rotary Club of Nairobi Thika Road has been working on a maternal & Child health project at Kiungururia dispensary in Nakuru County. The club undertook the project to provide medical equipment for an emergency delivery unit at the dispensary. This is after conducting a community need’s assessment & establishing that as one of the greatest needs at the dispensary.
Kiungururia Dispensary is located in Kiungururia village of Eburru/Mbaruk Ward, Gilgil Sub-County, Nakuru County. Kenya. Gilgil Sub-County has a 2019 projected population of 185,918 with 26,979 being residents of Eburru/Mbaruk Ward. Eburru/Mbaruk ward has 3 public health facilities against a government recommendation of 6. Kiungururia is one of the villages in this Ward.
It is until 2017 that a dispensary was built by the County government. With that, it still took a year to get medical staff and drugs in the facility.
The community identified several areas of development in the dispensary. Women in the community travel 17kms to the nearest public hospital to access maternity services. This challenge caused them to identify delivery services as one of the greatest needs. The health committee proposed that one of the rooms could be partitioned appropriately and equipped with the delivery unit.
To launch the project The Club held a Free Medical Camp on the 7th September 2019 at the dispensary. Together with our partners who included the County Government of Nakuru Health services, we offered various health services on the day:- optical services, Cervical and prostate cancer screening, Diabetes testing, Blood sugar testing, HIV testing & counselling amongst others . All this was made possible by partners who gave their services diligently and with such dedication that even with the rain they served to the last person. We were able to serve about 788 people on that day.
After launching the project & completion of the community need’s assessment, the club then undertook a fundraising event – the 1st Annual Fundraising Gala dinner to raise funds to equip the dispensary among other club projects – and we are grateful to all our partners & friends for a successful fundraising event.
The club has now finally lived to its promise to transform the lives of the mothers at Kiungururia village and on the 25.06.2020, Rc Nairobi Thika road delivered the delivery equipment to the dispensary.
Handing over the equipment was President Miriam Kaniaru and she requested the Health officials present to facilitate a speedy installation of the equipment so that the mothers can start enjoying the maternity services at their doorstep.
To receive the equipment, was county officers who included, the Chief Officer Public Health- Nakuru County, the Head of Preventative & Promotive Health care – Nakuru County & the Team lead for the Sub-county Health Management Team (Gilgil sub county). The Chief Officer Public Health assured us that they would indeed ensure that the equipment would be put to use within the shortest time possible .
The equipment donated was valued at USD 6,000 and they included, a Resuscitator, a suction machine, delivery & post-natal bed, delivery set, blood pressure monitor, autoclave machine, infant weighing scale, stethoscope, foetalscope, hospital blankets, hospital bedsheets, & hospital wastebins.
We look forward to continued partnerships with the County Government of Nakuru Health services.
