The Department of Health and Sanitation has concluded a five-day joint health supervision exercise in Turkana North aimed at strengthening service delivery and addressing community health concerns.
The initiative, supported by Save the Children Kenya, brought together an 11-member team that assessed health facilities, verified data, and supported health outreaches to remote villages.
Speaking during the exercise, James Lobokan, Director of Policy, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, explained the motivation behind the visit.
“We are in Turkana North for support, supervision and also data collection. We have a few indicators that informed our visit, particularly on maternal deaths reportedly linked to malnutrition.”
“We wanted to see the major gaps, check whether these cases were properly audited, and confirm if the data we expect from facilities was accurate. This visit also allowed us to check the impact of outreaches supported by Save the Children,” he said.
The joint supervision also focused on ensuring communities in hard-to-reach areas had access to essential healthcare.
At the Kakoropus outreach unit, which serves about 300 people daily, the team witnessed firsthand the value of community mobilisation.
Janerose Tioko, Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health Services, commended the work being done on the ground.
“We are here at Kakoropus outreach unit. The unit covers almost 300 people every day and as we see today, the mobilisation was done well.”
“We thank the CHPs of this area for their active participation in empowering the community on healthcare-seeking behaviour,” she noted.
The exercise also provided mentorship to healthcare workers in facilities across Turkana North, reinforcing data accuracy and quality of service delivery.
Community members raised concerns about access to healthcare, which the team pledged to address through closer collaboration with partners.
By bringing together government officials, health workers, and partners such as Save the Children Kenya, the supervision has not only improved accountability but also strengthened outreach efforts, which are critical in serving Turkana’s remote communities.