Blackouts hamper maternity care at city hospital
Repair work on a power line has denied expectant women access to prenatal clinics at Mathari district hospital for the past one week.
The hospital has been unable to offer ultra sound services to pregnant women and there is no sign connection to electricity will resume any time soon.
The hospital serves as a referral facility for residents of Huruma, Mathare, Korogocho and Marurui and has a bed capacity of 24.
According to the hospital’s Nurse in Charge Florence Gitakaa, they have been forced to refer pregnant women to other facilities.
“Keeping track of those referrals is quite a challenge as majority of the women opt to go back home for fear of being charged at the various health facilities,” she said.
Ultra sound services are offered free of charge at Mathari District Hospital, but private hospital charge not less than Sh3,000 a visit.
Mrs Gitakaa said that in a day, the radiographer attends to up to 10 women and is available only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The hospital is in the process of acquiring a generator for backup.