USAID Dumisha Afya Donates Solar Equipment to Improve Health Service Delivery
USAID Dumisha Afya supported the Bungoma County Department of Health with solar equipment worth six million shillings ($40,000 USD) to ensure the provision of quality service delivery through the optimal use of health information systems, data capture and reporting modules through the Kenya electronic medical records system (KenyaEMR).
The launch, presided over by the County Executive Committee Member for Health, Dr. Andrew Wamalwa, and flagged by the County Director of Health, Dr. Caleb Watta, at Bumula Sub-County Hospital, included:
· 64-340W Monocrystalline solar panels
· 15-12V 200AH battery racks
· 15 metallic trucking material
· 24 solar mounting structures
The equipment will be installed in 15 health facilities across seven sub-counties.
Also in attendance and recognized by the county director of health was the chief protocol officer from the Office of the Governor who challenged the Department of Health to prioritize procurement of 17 desktops to serve other departments within the facility as USAID Dumisha Afya does within its comprehensive care clinics.
The County Executive Committee Member in his remarks acknowledged the progress the county Department of Health had made in the recruitment and deployment of 243 health workers for provision of the services in government health facilities in the current fiscal year and the need for digitization of records in all eight subcounty hospitals within the county.
He observed the importance of trained and qualified providers being stationed at critical departments within any health facility, including the Comprehensive Care Clinic. Ongoing, championed by the Department of Health and through program support, is the development of a short-term contracted staff policy that will see both professional and casual cadre workers employed to bridge the human resource gaps in health facilities.
During the hand over, USAID Dumisha Afya Chief of Party, Dr. Everline Ashiono, requested the county safeguard the solar equipment throughout its service by ensuring that it is secure and adequate and routine technical maintenance is provided. Dr. Wamalwa, on behalf of the county guaranteed the safety and maintenance of all the equipment handed over to the county.
During the ceremony, Dr. Wamalwa unveiled the new Comprehensive Care Clinic renovated through PEPFAR support. The renovated facility currently treats 470 clients on a monthly basis and has progressively seen an improvement in patient centered service provision with a 10% increase in clients on community models of differentiated service delivery year over year.
The county focal person for prevention of mother-to-child transmission, who is also the Sub-County AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Co-ordinator (SCASCO) of Bumula sub-county, commented on the need for collaborative efforts towards the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) through the efficient and effective use of the Maternal Child Health module in the Maternal Child Health Clinic to reduce the MTCT rate which currently stands at 11%.
