During a visit to Mara just before the end of last year I had a meeting with the regional health management team who took the opportunity to feedback on the progress so far since the strategy was launched only a few months earlier. I must admit I was really impressed by the momentum and achievements to date. Proud indeed.
You may remember the exciting steps that Mara took to improving maternal and newborn survival with a strategy developed for the region and launched in July last year. Now a strategy is all very well and good, but it’s only words until it’s implemented.During a visit to Mara just before the end of last year I had a meeting with the regional health management team who took the opportunity to feedback on the progress so far since the strategy was launched only a few months earlier.I must admit I was really impressed by the momentum and achievements to date, that included:
- 95 new skilled health workers were employed in just three months since the launch of the strategy
- Twelve health centres have made significant steps towards being upgraded to be fully equipped comprehensive obstetric care centres
- Operating theatres in ten health centres are very nearly finished
- All maternal deaths in the region between July and October 2013 have been properly reviewed so that we can learn from what went wrong
- Two districts now register and follow up with pregnant women in their area so that they can receive the antenatal care they need and deliver their baby in a facility
- There will be a new satellite blood bank – a site for it has been identified and preparations are underway for its creation
- Last, but not least, the Regional Commissioner is keeping pressure on the respective district leaderships to place priority on the implementation of the strategy, including requesting a three month report from across the region to monitor progress