The citizens of Junda ward can now have access to quality health provisions thanks to the Mombasa County government after it established an emergency maternity space, standard waiting bay, and a youth-friendly VCT department.
Junda ward boasts of a population of approximately, 46,000 residents being the highest populated ward within the 30 wards of Mombasa County. Situated in the Northwestern part of the county and representing a bigger share per population per capita of Kisauni Sub County. Junda ward residents have played key role in choosing the leadership of their ward and the county in general. Since the inception of Afya Yangu Wajibu wangu initiative, the residents of Junda were the key targets regarding the implementation of the project and mainly on addressing constitutionalism, bill of rights, citizen participation, and devolution about health and provision of quality services from the county government. The ward has been side-lined since devolution came to play in 2013, lack of quality access to feeder roads and drainage, has affected the residents of Junda in a bigger scope especially when it comes to health. In 2019, the long monsoon rains of April to June affected the Junda residence resulting in loss of property and emergence of various viral diseases. With only one public health center available, and with minimal service provision as well as drugs. Most of the residents resorted to visiting the Coast General hospital and other private health institutions around the ward. This immensely affected them economically as most women could spend up to Ksh.2500 to access health care within private clinics and travel a long distance to access Junda health care at a cost of Ksh.250.
[box] “The committee, has worked towards the improvement of the infrastructure of the facility by establishing a waiting bay for patients with television sets having been installed.”- George Okila –HFMC Chair Junda Dispensary [/box]
Despite the county government having allocated Ksh.2.3 million in the FY 2020/2021 on upgrading several services within the facility nothing was done, this prompted the community members who have been beneficiary of civic education on health rights under the Afya Yangu Wajibu Wangu project implemented by Kwacha Afrika to undertake a community scorecard targeting Junda dispensary with the sole purpose of ascertaining the quality of service delivery. In delivering the final scorecard report key actions were identified and roles in the actualization of the actions were given to key stakeholders for follow-up.
“Currently the Junda dispensary has now refurbished its freshwater pipes to cushion the facility against water shortages. Two clinical officers, a pharmaceutical technologist, a lab technologist and three additional health nurses apart from the existing two have been allocated to the facility”. Said Mr. George Okila – HFMC – Chairman. He continued “The scorecard team together with the Health Facility Management Committee , have pushed the county government to establish a VCT center with an attached HTC, established the emergency delivery support spaces for expectant mothers who have been seeking delivery services at Coast general hospital. The committee has worked towards the improvement of the infrastructure of the facility by establishing a waiting bay for patients with television sets having been installed.” He concluded.
In improving service delivery time due to the high population of patients to the facility, the facility now offers a lunch program to enable staff to spend less time during lunch hours outside the facility and improve service delivery time. In ensuring adequate information sharing to the clients, a service chatter has been put in place, about matters of security within the facility the committee took key initiative by installing an alarm security system and electric fence subsequently.
With all this in place, service delivery within the facility has really improved and communities enjoy quality health provision within the ward.
