Kisumu county refutes claims of surge in maternal mortality
Kisumu county government has denied claims of a rise in cases of maternal mortality rates at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.
This follows a public outcry on social media after reports went viral that the facility had recorded seven deaths over the last two weeks.
Chief Officer in charge of Health Dr Gregory Ganda in a statement to the media clarified that the facility has only recorded one maternal death in the month of October.
The case, he said, referred to the facility which served the larger Nyanza region and parts of the western region.
Ganda defended the facility, which he said handles some of the most complex cases in the region and has put in place measures to offer high-quality medical care.
“The medical teams at the hospital are highly qualified teams that do their best to resuscitate and restore the health of these mothers and their babies,” he said.
Through support from the county government, national government and development partners, the facility, he added, has undergone rapid expansion and transformation.
This has increased the capacity of more women successfully delivering at the facility.
He said the rapid increase in the number of referrals and deliveries over the last 3 years has seen a 65 per cent increase in patients at the facility.
“We wish to state that the number of absolute maternal deaths at the hospital has reduced due to improved health care,” he said.
The social media reports, he said, were aimed at tarnishing the name of the facility. He cautioned members of the public against issuing alarmist statements that might discourage mothers from seeking professional services at the hospital.
He said statistics of expectant mothers seeking medical services in hospitals in the area were impressive.
“In the last 3 years, we have recorded an increase in mothers opting for hospital deliveries in our public facilities from 71 per cent of deliveries in 2018 to 88 per cent of deliveries in 2021,” he said.
