For many years, access to specialised maternal and child healthcare remained a challenge for many families in Nandi County.
Expectant mothers facing complications, premature babies requiring intensive care, and patients in need of advanced treatment often had to travel long distances to referral hospitals outside the county, adding financial and emotional strain during already difficult moments.
Today, that reality is steadily changing through the Mother and Child Health Complex at Kapsabet County Referral Hospital, a facility that represents one of the most significant healthcare investments in the county’s recent history.
The modern complex was established to strengthen maternal, newborn, and pediatric healthcare services while bringing critical treatment closer to residents.
More than just an addition to the hospital’s infrastructure, it reflects a broader effort to improve healthcare access and outcomes for mothers and children across Nandi.
What is Kapsabet County Referral Hospital’s capacity?
The facility has expanded Kapsabet County Referral Hospital’s capacity from 200 to 500 beds through the addition of a 300-bed complex. It houses a 10-bed adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU), an 18-bed preterm neonatal ICU, maternity theatres, advanced diagnostic equipment, and other specialised treatment services designed to handle complex medical cases.
The impact of such services extends far beyond hospital walls. Timely access to skilled delivery care, emergency obstetric services, neonatal intensive care, and postnatal support can significantly improve survival rates and health outcomes for both mothers and newborns.
By reducing the need for referrals to distant facilities, the complex is helping ensure that critical care is available when and where it is needed most.
The project is part of wider healthcare reforms undertaken in Nandi over the past several years. Since 2017, the county has invested heavily in strengthening the health sector through the expansion of health facilities, recruitment and support of healthcare workers, improved drug supply systems, and construction of essential infrastructure such as maternity units, laboratories, theatres, and ambulance services.
These investments have contributed to improved maternal health indicators, including a rise in skilled deliveries from 36.9 per cent in 2017 to 65 per cent. The county has also expanded its network of health facilities from 120 to 155, improving access to healthcare services at the community level.
The Mother and Child Health Complex is also supported by modern medical equipment supplied through the National Equipment Service Programme, enhancing the hospital’s ability to provide specialised treatment and quality patient care.
New outpatient block at Kapsabet County Referral Hospital
Looking ahead, further expansion is planned. A new outpatient block valued at KSh 500 million is expected to add 120 beds, increasing the hospital’s overall capacity to 670 beds while strengthening intensive care, high-dependency care, maternity theatre services, and renal care.
While buildings and equipment are important, sustained success will depend on adequate staffing, reliable medicine supplies, efficient management, and strong primary healthcare systems.
Nevertheless, the Mother and Child Health Complex stands as a major milestone in Nandi’s healthcare journey, bringing quality maternal and child healthcare closer to home and giving thousands of families greater confidence in the care available within their county.
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