New Pumwani maternity hospital hits the headlines again following governor Mike Sonko promise to transform it to the standards of a private hospital

*HOW GOVERNOR MIKE SONKO HAS TRANSFORMED THE HEALTH SECTOR IN NAIROBI USING NEW PUMWANI MATERNITY HOSPITAL*

when One walks to pumwani hospital for services, the output now is conspicuous both to the allies and foes of governor Mike sonko.
Despite bad press, the services provided here cannot be gainsaid and the history of its origins is worth repeating.
   In as much as most counties have not prioritised the health sector which is a basic need to all stakeholders, the flamboyant Nairobi governor Hon. Mike Sonko has not failed to hit headlines once again on his service delivery when it comes to health care.
   His manifesto was Delivered with unfettered conviction as concerns health care in particular in pumwani.
Despite its humble resources, the facility delivers 25,000 to 30,000 babies every year. Many big names in the history of Kenya were born in Pumwani. My mother tells me that, in the ’60s, the hospital would send you a midwife to help you deliver your baby in the comfort of your home and she delivered her second and third babies through this privilege.
Working in Pumwani fills one with a deep sense of satisfaction, surrounded by the wonder of life coming into this world on a daily basis, the cries of pain-turned-to-joy from first-time mothers who cannot believe they are capable of bringing forth such beautiful life and being able to avert death where possible. The downside is quite devastating, however. When the team at work loses a baby or a mother, it is gut-wrenching to all and we all grieve with the mother and her family.
   Events over the last few months in this once prestigious health care centre that aimed to reduce maternal mortality, forced the flamboyant governror who without delay begun rescue efforts to upgrade the hospital and insisted on the need of counties to prioritise health is a top need.

   When one walks to the hospital now, a sence of life is breath back with hope and excitement, Sonko in a crisis meeting promised to address the issue and it is now less than four months since the crisis and pumwani hospital has the following fully functional units.
1.General Outpatient that has never been in existence for the last 92 years Since the hospital was opened.
2.well equaiped ICU and HDU units with modern equipments and enough bed capacity that will decongest Kenyatta National Hospital.
3.obsterteic and gynaecologic wing and ward.
4.Pediatric and child care centre and ward with well equipped NBU
5. Modern mortuary with new coolers entirely donated from him to serve the hospital.
6.major renovations going on currently on the structural infrastructure of the hospital and it could soon cause a shift and competition to leading hospitals like
The Agha khan or Nairobi hospital.
Patients waiting time has been reduced,thanks to the effective electronic queuing system introduced coupled with effective well backup systems.
The hospital staff and Support staff has also not been left out as the county government has been keen to employ New nurses and medical officers with the change of management being the priority.
    Contributions from various supporters has made the hospital fairly self-sufficient. It has its own borehole, courtesy of Unicef, and runs a huge prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programme in conjunction with the University of Nairobi and Sonko recently signed a deal with the Liverpool school of tropical medicine to offer basic life support skills training of staff to reduce maternal mortality.

    Nairobi governor Mike Sonko in a Statement said Many years of negative stories have killed the morale of the workforce in Pumwani Maternity Hospital many times over but they rise and soldier on. Stories of stolen babies, harmed newborns and mothers who have lost their lives have been poorly investigated and, when the truth does come out, no one bothers to exonerate the hospital, but Mike Sonko shall forever be given credit for making Pumwani hospital a priority in his agenda for the health of the Nairobi people.

   Mike Sonko despite numerous attacks from political opponents has stood up to defend a national heritage bequeathed to us by women who lived in a time when they could have chosen to selfishly embrace their comfort but went the extra mile to leave something special to us and the future women of this country. It is my hope that the County of Nairobi, which is now the proud owner of this treasure, will continue to rise up under the head of flamboyant Nairobi governor hon Mike Sonko and restore it to its former glory and beyond just as he has begun doing it amidst allies and foes.