Influence of Safaricom foundation funded water projects on health service provision. a case of Assisi nursing home in Machakos District, Kenya

Abstract

Safaricom Foundation is a programme that spearheads the corporate social responsibility of Safaricom Limited. It is through this programme that various development projects are funded. The Assisi Nursing Home water project is a beneficiary of the Safaricom Foundation funding. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of Safaricom Foundation funded water projects on health service provision.

The objectives of the study were to investigate how the Safaricom Foundation funded water project has improved patient management, medication and environment management at Assisi Nursing Home. It also sought to investigate the effect of the project on cost of service provision, the challenges encountered by the facility staff as a result of the water project and the efforts in overcoming these challenges by the facility staff.

This study employed a qualitative research design. It targeted all the 11 staff of Assisi Nursing Home. The major research instruments were a focus group discussion for the staff in two groups who were sampled purposively. Interviews were carried out with the 2 administrators and observation was also employed in the study. Questionnaires were administered to 21 customers who were sampled conveniently. Data was analyzed qualitatively. It involved narration that was put into patterns that followed themes developed from the research questions. This data was supported by quantitative data derived from the customers of Assisi.

This study found that the SFFWP was providing an adequate water supply to ANH which had improved patient management at the facility leading to less referrals to other hospitals, expansion of the facility's capacity, reduced operational costs and safe administration of treatment to patients. The study also found that the availability of adequate water had improved the hygiene at the facility and improved the livelihood of the neighboring community.

Recommendations for policy action specific to the SFFWP at Assisi Nursing Home were given. It was therefore recommended that the staff at this health facility should be trained on water resource management for efficiency in water use and to reduce wastage. Community involvement was also recommended to the management for other projects targeting the whole community.