Hope for newborns at Pumwani Maternity as upgrade in neonatal care help reduce risks

JOSEPH NG’ANG’A-KNA

A New Born Unit (NBU), equipped with the latest technology and infrastructure, has been established at Pumwani Maternity Hospital to reduce the mortality rate among newborns.

The hospital, which marks its 100th anniversary this year, delivers approximately 80 to 90 babies daily.

The modernised newborn unit aims to prevent neonatal deaths, particularly those linked to hypothermia, while improving maternal outcomes and strengthening clinical capacity at Kenya’s largest maternity hospital.

For many years, newborns at the facility have been grappling with hypothermia, which Dr Chris Mugambi, the facility’s Medical Superintendent, termed “an invisible enemy”, a condition that occurs when babies are unable to regulate their body temperature.

Dr Mugambi, who is also a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, noted improvements since the installation of the central heating system.

“The central heating component has enabled us to achieve above 75 per cent improvement in thermal regulation outcomes, saving infant lives on the backdrop of stretched demand,” he said.

On his part, Safaricom Foundation Chairman Joseph Ogutu shared that the intervention is part of the Uzazi Salama programme, which aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality nationwide, in line with WHO’s Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere (EWENE) action plan.

“We are absolutely delighted at the impact of this partnership with the Nairobi County Government and Pumwani Maternity Hospital, enabling us to improve the health and well-being of women and children in our country by ending preventable deaths as we journey towards the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals,” he added.

Ogutu said that the M-Pesa Foundation put in Sh13 million towards the installation of the central heating system in the newborn unit.