Policy and governance expert Joseph Kagiri. [Courtesy]
In conjunction with other stakeholders, I conducted a four-day medical camp in Kieni Constituency, Nyeri County and the findings from the exercise were deeply concerning.
Most of the cases recorded at Gakawa Health Centre, Burguret Dispensary, Island Farm Dispensary and Warazo Health Centre all and flagged as emergencies could have been avoided if both levels of government, the national and county governments, had invested more heavily in preventive healthcare rather than concentrating on curative care.
Among the cases was that of a 37-week pregnant mother who visited Gakawa Health Centre after learning that ultrasound services were being offered at the facility. What was to be a routine check-up quickly turned into a life-saving intervention after doctors discovered that the baby’s umbilical cord was wrapped twice around the foetus’ neck.
Her case was immediately flagged as an emergency and she was referred for an urgent Caesarean Section to save both her life and that of her baby. The 28-year-old had not planned to undergo an ultrasound and only came to the facility after hearing that the service was available. Doctors warned that it would have been disastrous had she waited until delivery as both her life and that of the baby were at great risk.
