Trans Nzoia County has stepped up the fight against maternal and newborn deaths, with health workers from across the county undergoing intensive hands-on training to sharpen their ability to respond to life-threatening complications during childbirth.
The high-stakes Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) mentorship programme entered its fourth day on Thursday, bringing together healthcare providers from different facilities across the county.
The training is being conducted by the Trans Nzoia County Department of Health and Sanitation with support from AMPATH Uzima and the Ministry of Health through the DRMNCA Mentorship Programme.And this is no ordinary classroom exercise.
The trainees are being taken through practical emergency procedures they are expected to replicate in their respective health facilities, skills that could prove critical when a mother or newborn develops complications during delivery.
Among the procedures covered on Thursday was Vacuum Assisted Vaginal Delivery, alongside the management of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, serious pregnancy-related complications that require prompt intervention.
The health workers were also trained on newborn resuscitation, including immediate intervention for babies struggling to breathe after delivery.Practical demonstrations were conducted on the use of Continuos Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines and infant radiant warmers, while maternal shock and emergency maternal resuscitation were also tackled.
Speaking during the fourth-day session, AMPATH Uzima RMNCAH Programme Manager Nobrah Mutuku said the programme was deliberately designed to move beyond theory and equip health workers with practical skills.
“This is a training of its own kind, because what our mentees are learning here is not just theory. It is practical skills that are expected to go and replicate at the facility level in order to save the lives of mothers and their children during delivery,” Mutuku said.
Photo|Transnzioa Health Workers training on how to handle newborns
She said the training would strengthen healthcare delivery in Trans Nzoia and urged the beneficiaries to become trainers in their own facilities.
“We want those who have benefited from this training to go and mentor their fellow health workers at the facility level. That is one way of bettering health care service delivery to the mwananchi,” she said.
Mutuku reaffirmed AMPATH Uzima’s commitment to improving healthcare services and saving lives in the region.Also present was Dr Mike Ekisa, team leader for the Ministry of Health’s DRMNCA Mentorship Programme, who praised the trainees for their commitment to learning.
“The commitment shown by these mentees is commendable. Their urge to learn new skills through this mentorship programme says a lot about where we are headed,” Dr Ekisa said.
He said the programme could also help boost confidence in facility-based deliveries by ensuring health workers are better prepared to handle emergencies.
Dr Ekisa noted that complications arising during home deliveries can become difficult to manage where emergency medical intervention is not readily available.
As the training continues, health officials are banking on the new skills to strengthen emergency response at health facilities and ultimately make childbirth safer for mothers and newborns across Trans Nzoia County.