The Sovereign Military Order of Malta has launched a new operating theater in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening humanitarian and health services for vulnerable communities in the East African country.<\/p>\n
In a statement shared with ACI Africa on Wednesday, February 25, the Catholic religious order and charity says that once complete and fully operational, the new surgical center at Kakuma Mission Hospital will help bridge gaps in the provision of emergency surgical services.<\/p>\n
Bishop John Mbinda of the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar, in the company of the Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta, Riccardo Patern\u00f2 di Montecupo, who arrived in Kenya on February 20 for a five-day official visit, presided over the blessing ceremony and laying of the foundation stone for the new operating theatre on February 25.<\/p>\n
According to the Order of Malta, the unveiling of the modern theater at the health facility, which serves as the main referral health facility for over 600,000 refugees and members of the host community in the Turkana West region, is expected to address gaps in emergency surgical care, including cesarean sections and trauma surgery.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goal is to transform Kakuma Mission Hospital into a resilient surgical center capable of responding to shocks linked to drought, conflict, and new influxes of displaced people,\u201d the statement reads in part.<\/p>\n
It further notes that the initiative, which is also directly funded by the Grand Magistry through the Order\u2019s Donors for Projects Foundation,is part of a broader plan that includes \u201cupgrading water and medical waste management systems, training surgical teams, and improving triage and referral pathways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martina D’Onofrio, the Rome-based Director of Communications for the Order of Malta, told ACI Africa ahead of the Grand Chancellor’s arrival in Nairobi that the February 21-25 visit would combine high-level institutional meetings with on-the-ground assessment of relief operations, particularly in Kakuma refugee camp, where the Order of Malta, through its operational branch Malteser International, facilitates the realization of maternal and child health programmes.<\/p>\n
As part of the on-the-ground assessment of the Order\u2019s relief operations in Kakuma refugee camp on February 25, where the Order of Malta has partnered with Malteser International to implement maternal and child health programmes, the Grand Chancellor also visited the maternity ward.<\/p>\n
The upgrading of the maternity ward, according to the order\u2019s February 25 statement, \u201chas helped improve the safety of deliveries and the management of obstetric and neonatal emergencies, reducing delays in transfers to facilities located more than 150 kilometers away and lowering infant mortality.\u201d<\/p>\n
The five-day Grand Chancellor\u2019s official visit in Kenya, whose itinerary also included a meeting with the Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya, Archbishop\u00a0Herbertus van Megen, and diplomatic engagements at the United\u00a0Nations Office in Nairobi,\u00a0concluded on February 25 evening with a meeting between him and Kenya\u2019s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Hon.\u00a0Musalia Mudavadi.<\/p>\n
In the February 25 statement issued shortly after the meeting with the Kenyan government official, the Order said the meeting provided \u201can opportunity to discuss the priorities of the Order of Malta\u2019s global mission and its growing role on the African continent and in Kenya.”<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Grand Chancellor expressed appreciation for the government\u2019s cooperation in the health and humanitarian fields and his commitment to further strengthening institutional dialogue and partnerships for the benefit of the most vulnerable communities,\u201d the Order of Malta\u2019s statement read in part.<\/p>\n
Founded in Jerusalem in 1048 as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta, the Order of Malta established diplomatic relations with Kenya in 2007, where it also operates in collaboration with the Hungarian Charity Service.<\/p>\n
This article was originally published by ACI Africa.<\/p>\n