Murang’a seeks to establish a health service fund to improve county health services

Murang’a

Tuesday, August 8, 2023 

KNA by Anita Omwenga

Murang’a County Government aims to establish a health services fund that will improve the quality of health care services being offered in the county.

The county administration is waiting for passing of the Public Finance Management (Murang’a County Health Services Fund) Regulations, 2023, which is currently in the County Assembly.

The Members of the County Assembly have tabled the paper waiting for discussion and deliberation by the House.

If the fund regulations go through, the county government will establish ‘Murang’a County Health Services Fund’ which seeks to improve the quantity of health care services offered to the people by providing health insurance cover, maternal and community health services.

In the document seen by KNA, the health services fund will ensure health facilities in the county have better access to financial resources and are more responsive to medical and public health emergencies.

The Fund with also be charged with the role of ensuring a certain percentage of money is set aside for disbursement and is equitably allocated for primary health services.

Further, it will establish a centralized fund into which all revenues collected pursuant to the fund regulations shall be paid and administered.

“Income generated from any project initiated by a health facility including fees payable, levies and charges, grants and donations or any other monies received from a lawful source shall be paid directly into the fund,” read a section of the document.

In addition, the county government will establish a board for administrative provisions. The board will provide oversight of the administration of the monies drawn from the fund and help mobilize resources for the Fund.

The board shall comprise of not more than nine members whose chairperson shall not be a public officer, appointed by the Governor.

Members of the board will include Chief Officers responsible for health services and finance, the county director of health services and a fund administrator who will be appointed for a specific period from the existing county staff by the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Finance who shall be the secretary to the board.

Other members include the chairperson of Murang’a Level 5 Referral hospital board, chairpersons of two- level four hospitals management board and a representative of level two and level three health facilities and one member appointed by the governor.

“The chairperson of the fund will hold office for a term of three years and may be eligible for re-appointment for one other final term. Members of the board will hold office on rotational basis for a term of three years as determined by the Health CECM.,” read the regulations.

The board will approve expenditure plans and receive financial reports from hospital management boards and committees for consideration and adoption.

“Funds deposited in the account shall be utilized by the respective spending units and drawn through an authority to incur expenditure issued by the CECM for finance, from the annual expenditure plan and quarterly work plans,” read the fund regulations document.

Further the board will also conduct periodic remittance of monies and accounting procedures to health facilities, and will meet at least four times and a maximum of eight times annually.

“The board shall meet at least four times and a maximum of eight times every year and the secretary of the board shall maintain records of its deliberations,” read the regulations.

Courtesy ; K. N. A