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In a bid to reduce the number of women delivering at home in Murang’a, the county government has come up with a program to facilitate pregnant mothers with transport money to enable them to visit health facilities.

According to Murang’a governor Irungu Kang’ata, home births in the county stand at 30 per cent and this is a huge number.

In the programme dubbed maternal health support, each expectant mother will be getting Sh4,000 stipends to cater for transport and other basic needs before and after delivery.

Speaking during the launch of the program in Kirwara Gatanga, Kang’ata said priority will be given to the women who are seven months pregnant where they will get Sh1,000 to enable them to visit the health facility for prenatal care for the remaining two months and Sh2,000 after delivery.

“Majority of the women who deliver at home say it’s because they lack money for transport to the hospital and this stipend will come in handy,” said the governor.

In addition, he said there are a handful of benefits from delivering at the hospital among them getting more knowledge on reproductive care and being taught how to take care of newborn babies. “The incentive is geared towards ensuring we get 100 per cent deliveries at the hospitals as this will save the lives of the mother and child which could be at risk” he added.

This, he said, will also help curb maternal deaths which have hit an alarming rate adding that some mothers develop complications during childbirth and are rushed to the hospital when it’s too late.