By Makokha Khaoya
A Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) in Uriri Sub County, Migori has established a health care facility to help the government fill the health care gaps.
The Founder of Joseph Smith Hospital, Gladwell Wachira, said that the increase in maternal death and Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the county was one of the major reasons for the creation of the health care facility.
The institution, which started as a rescue centre and a children’s home facility, has expanded to include a health care facility to help the residents of North Kanyamkago Ward.
In 2024, the centre had rescued 76 girls that were subject to GBV in form of defilement, rape and physical abuse, and as of March this year, ten girls have already been rescued.
She, however, called for a mutual partnership and support from the two levels of government to help the private entities provide health care services for residents, especially at the grassroots level.
“We are not trying to compete with the two levels of government but rather fill in the gaps to help our residents at the grassroots access better and quality health care,” said Wachira.
She said that the facility will provide hope for girls and women who are the biggest victims of GBV, with the biggest percentage of girls and women unwilling to report the cases due to stigma, isolation and social exclusion that exposes the victims to further violence at the hands of the perpetrators.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (2022), about 34 percent of women in Kenya have experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives.
Uriri Sub County Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordinator Celestine Agunda said that a lot of GBV; physical abusive and rape has been high among intimate partners.
Agunda said that GBV starts with individuals, and as a society, the county residents have the power to stop it and make the community a better place.
“The National and the County governments cannot provide every solution to every problem, and that is why we encourage private partnership to fill the gaps,” said Agunda.
She said that the county through community health promoters will continue to champion for the anti GBV messages to sensitise the community on the harmful effects that contribute to cases of rape, defilement and physical harm.
Agunda, however, called upon the residents of the North Kanyamkago to support the private initiative to enhance health care services among the local community.
The official noted that the facility will help ease the pain of the adolescent girls and women, especially with the worrying Kenya Demographic and Health Survey statistics that showed that 47 percent of women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence.
Deputy County Commissioner in charge of Uriri Sub County, Monicah Kangethe, discussed that government–private partnership should be encouraged right at the grassroots level to help the government fill existing gaps to serve the residents well.
Kangethe, however, encouraged expectant women in Uriri Sub County to prioritise Antenatal Care and deliver at the hospitals to reduce maternal deaths and other health delivery complications.
According to Migori County health statistics, the maternal mortality currently stands at 673 per 100,000 live births in the County, which is higher than the national average of 355 per 100,000.
The administrator also called on the local residents to register for Social Hospital Insurance Funds (SHIF) to benefit from the health care services provided by the government, private and mission hospitals across the country.
