I recently had the privilege of being able to visit Londiani Sub-County Hospital in Kericho county, Kenya with Brighter Communities Worldwide, where I witnessed the amazing work being done there. The hospital staff in Londiani were incredibly welcoming and we shared a day together as part of their continuous medical education that they do every week.
As well as being such kind welcoming people, they also have a wealth of knowledge on maternal and newborn care. However, they face challenges with the limited resources available to their newborn unit. It was clear from the time I spent there, that building on their current newborn unit is a project they are passionate about. Improving the unit will mean better scope to care for newborn babies reducing the need for referrals to the County Hospital. It is often in the referral process that challenges occur which cause further risk to baby's health and life. Support from Brighter Communities Worldwide will help them provide their excellent care with less stress for both patients and staff.
Brighter Communities Worldwide facilitate a partnership formed with Mayo University Hospital and Londiani Sub-County Hospital 14 years ago with a vision of a world where healthy communities can thrive enabled by strengthened health systems, empowered staff and quality health care.
One staggering statistic that has stuck with me since my visit is the difference in the infant mortality rate between Ireland and Kenya. In Kericho 1 in 26 babies die before their first birthday and in Ireland the number is 1 in 491. A full functioning newborn unit is a crucial part of efforts to give babies born in Londiani a better chance at survival.
So, to support the newborn unit, I'm joining a team of mid-wives and doctors from Mayo University Hospital - similar to the team I met in Londiani Sub-County Hospital. Together we are going to take part in the Westport Sea-2-Summit on November 12th. This is a 30km race involving running, cycling and climbing up to the middle of Croagh Patrick. We can only hope to draw some inspiration from Kenyan running while doing so!
