The Need

Tana River County is faced with shortages of health facilities. The current statistics shows that there are 71 health facilities in the county with two level four public hospitals located in Hola and Ngao. There is one sub-county hospital in Bura, five public health centres, 40 dispensaries and 20 private clinics, two mission dispensaries and one private health centre with the bed capacity of 158 while the average distance to a health facility is six kilometres. Thus building an addition, near and affordable health facility in Madogo will reduce a burden and cost of patients travelling for distances to seek health care.    

On the advent of devolution, the facilities are less funded by the government. There is need for expansion of the current facilities to enable them offer services in line with best practices. Some existing facilities need to be improved. Laboratories need to be refurbished to mirror current best practices in infection control and meet standards towards accreditation. Hospitals need to be improved to offer more patient friendly environment to clients. Supportive infrastructure like offices need to be equipped with furniture and other office equipment to enable management officers discharge their duties in a supportive environment. There is need to take inventory of exiting laboratory, pharmacy and other hospital equipment with the view of establishing obsolescence and shortage of critical equipment due for replacement. This will increase quality service delivery and will significantly reduce referrals.

To provide quality health services, there must be a high level of quality and competent care, qualified and available physicians and allied health professionals that are readily available and accessible. However, the situation in Madogo, there are few qualified health workers practicing in rural areas. In service delivery, the capacity building has been weak, both in technical and management areas. There is need to provide opportunities for training in specialty areas for all technical staff. Available health workers need to be offered opportunities to build their capacity in training. The facility will provide monthly training skills on and off the job for its workers.

Why the Health Facility?

• Quality and equal health care requires qualified and trained health workers to meet patient health expectations. However, the county is faced with a balanced staff and patient ration. To halt the burden, the facility will adopt World Health Organization staffing norms and standards of patient, staff ratio and developing a retention policy. On approximation, recruiting 3 clinical officers, 3 nutritionists, 2 visiting medical doctors, 3 diploma nurses and 1 registered nurse will be our great joy.

• Outpatient services including general consultation, injection, dressing and minor injuries. Targeting to serve at least 1000 people monthly. Basic laboratory services. Recruiting at least 3 lab technologists in shifts. In seasons of heavy workloads, they will work together.

• Maternal child health, maternity services (clinic) and family planning to women of reproductive age (15-49) years alongside immunization. Immunization will be administered within and outreach due to nomadic lifestyle of the target population. In collaboration with Kenya Expanded Program on Immunization (KEPI), rolling out monthly household immunization checklist especially for children under 5 years. In 2012, immunization coverage was 76% which was below the WHO/National average of 90 per cent. The child mortality rate (below five years) is 87 per 1000 and infant mortality rate is at 71 per 1000. The proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel stands at 23.2%. This implies that many mothers deliver at homes and the chances of achieving this goal are very low.

• Specialists’ Clinics and Medical Camps. Identifying missing skills and provide support for deserving staff to pursue training on specialization causes and adopting a specialists sharing mechanism with neighbouring Counties. For example, having a specialist on respiratory tract infection, as one of the major common mortality case. Among many other health programs.

A Call to Support

The total approximate budget for phase1 is KES 2.4M. We appeal to you to partner with us in putting a smile to these marginalized people who cannot afford health services due to poverty. The full budget to establish a fully equipped medical facility is KES 24M but believe starting with phase 1 will get us there one day.

Thank you in advance for your support!

You can send your gifts to:

Mpesa Paybill 819241 Account number: Tana River Hosi or

Absa Bank Queens Ways A/C Name: Medical Missions Africa. A/C No: 2023133930

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