Tighten up loopholes in the health sector, Governors urged

Busia,

Saturday, January 6, 2024

KNA by Absalom Namwalo

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has asked governors to seal loopholes in the health sector which has led to compromised services in most healthcare facilities.

Speaking at Busia after an inspection tour of facilities, the CS said that despite Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) supplying medical drugs, most healthcare facilities lack necessary pharmaceutical supplies.

“Health sector for many years has been hijacked by cartels who controlled the KEMSA and NHIF scheme. We must remain vigilant if we want to restore order in the sector,” said Nakhumicha.

The CS said she will uproot the cartels in the Ministry of Health amidst the ongoing tussle between the government and other stakeholders on reforms.

“We are aware of cartels sponsoring court cases to derail the Universal Health Care (UHC) plan but the government is up to the task to ensure success of the program,” she added.

The CS was speaking after meeting Community Health Promoters in Busia to assess the success of the program so far.

This comes after the government distributed Health kits to CHPs to aid them in championing preventive care as opposed to curative.

“I am happy to confirm that all CHPs have received their kits and capacity building training. The government remains committed to ensuring welfare of CHPs is attended to,” Nakhumicha added.

The CS noted that the reforms, especially at the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), which is now the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), are unstoppable.

“We will not bow or accept blackmail anymore. The people who are opposing Universal Health Care (UHC) are those who have been benefiting from corruption in the Ministry of Health,” she said.

According to the CS, individuals sponsoring court cases have private hospitals which have more claims for surgeries than government health facilities like Kenyatta and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospitals.

“We discovered with shock that a small hospital had claims of over Sh1 billion on surgeries alone within one year. This is ridiculous as the facility upon assessment doesn’t have equipment and staff to warrant such payments,” CS Nakhumicha noted.

CS ordered the county government of Busia to give back smartphones meant for CHPs which had disappeared despite being issued by the national government.

The Busia health department has been in limbo for years now with wrangles between medics and county executives jeopardizing services to residents.

Courtesy; KNA