Nandi County has opened a new Mother and Child Health Complex at Kapsabet County Referral Hospital, The Star reported. The county built the facility to bring specialised care for mothers and children closer to home. President William Ruto commissioned it two weeks before The Star's November 2 report.
The complex has 300 beds, raising the hospital's total capacity from 200 to 500. It includes a 10-bed adult intensive care unit and an 18-bed neonatal ICU for premature babies. It also has maternity theatres and advanced diagnostic equipment. Governor Stephen Sang said it will offer high-dependency care and renal services as well.
Sang said the building is "a promise to mothers, newborns and families." He said quality care should not be reserved for people who can travel far or pay for private hospitals. For generations, he said, Nandi families had faced long journeys and costly referrals for advanced maternal and child care. According to The Star, closer services will cut delays during emergencies such as complicated deliveries, premature births and childhood illnesses.
The governor said timely antenatal care, skilled delivery, emergency obstetric care and postnatal support make whole families and communities healthier and more productive. He wants residents to reach quality medical services within five kilometres. That way, they would no longer have to travel to Eldoret, Kisumu or Nairobi.
Sang has led the county since 2017. He said his administration made healthcare a priority from the start. At the time, he said, the sector faced frequent health worker strikes, drug shortages, weak infrastructure and few specialised services. The number of health facilities in the county has since grown from 120 to 155, according to The Star.
The county says the investment has improved outcomes for mothers. Skilled deliveries rose from 36.9 per cent in 2017 to 65 per cent. The Star reported that this puts Nandi among Kenya's four safest counties for childbirth.
Sang called the complex "a legacy being handed to future generations." He also thanked President Ruto for backing the project. He said it showed how county and national governments should work together.