COASTAL REGION RECORDS HIGH MATERNITY DEATH RATES

Expectant mothers waiting for treatment and other relatives waiting outside the maternity ward. 

The coastal region recorded at least 70 maternal deaths in the first devolution year according to a health official.

Binti Omar, the Mombasa Executive for Health said in an interview with the nation that the number could be higher in Coast General Hospital.

The facility is the largest referral hospital in the coastal region and it serves not only Mombasa but also Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Taita-taveta and Tana River counties.

“In the first devolution year, Coast General Hospital was the facility that recorded the worst data in regards to maternal deaths in Kenya, it had 73 deaths!” Ms Omar said at her office in Mwembe Tayari.

She added that since Coast General Hospital does not serve Mombasa alone, most deaths are maternal referrals from neighboring counties.

According to Data for Health Information Systems (DHIS) the hospital is ranked the worst for having the most maternal deaths in the country. The reasons being late arrival of expectant mothers at the hospital, lack of referral facilities in the neighboring counties and poor road infrastructure.

Omar also added that the free maternity health program has been experiencing a lot of challenges with delays in reimbursement of money for purchasing maternity supplies and supporting maternity programs.

        By Yussfe.