Duale defends Kenya Kwanza health reforms, UHC programme

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has defended the Kenya Kwanza administration’s health reforms, saying significant progress has been made in improving access to medicines, equipment and healthcare workers despite a difficult transition to the new health system.

Speaking during the Health Summit, Duale said the reforms had been sustained over the past four years.

He announced that the Government was preparing to give Kenyans a full account of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme, branded Taifa Care.

The CS said the Government would provide details on payments, contributions and outcomes under the programme during a town hall meeting scheduled for tonight.

Duale identified medicines, medical equipment and human resources as three key areas directly under the Ministry of Health, saying progress had been made in each.

On health commodities, the CS said the national medicines refill rate at Kemsa had increased from 45 per cent when the administration took office to 95 per cent currently.

“There is no supply chain that works without capital,” he said, adding that the Government had strengthened Kemsa warehouses in Embakasi and Kisumu and moved away from paper-based systems.

Dulae noted that the system now serves about 11,400 health facilities, with 54 per cent of commodities going to dispensaries and health centres, hospitals where most Kenyans seek care.

“This means a mother who walks to a dispensary finds medicine,” he said.

On medical equipment, Duale said the Government had invested Sh9.68 billion under the National Equipment Service Programme (NESP), covering 251 health facilities, including county and national facilities.

The equipment includes MRI and CT scanners, digital X-ray and ultrasound machines, he said.

Duale said the investment was aimed at reducing the need for patients to travel to Nairobi to access specialised diagnostic services.

“Previously, Kenyans would travel to Nairobi, but equipment is now available in the counties and paid for by Taifa Care,” he said.

On the health workforce, the CS noted that the Government had posted medical interns at a cost of Sh19 billion and sponsored 262 medical registrars.

He said the Government had also released Sh3.4 billion to settle doctors’ arrears and recruited 100,000 nurses and midwives.

At the same time, Duale acknowledged the role of county governments in implementing health reforms, saying the progress recorded in the sector had been achieved through cooperation between the two levels of government.

“To governors, health is a devolved function. These reforms have been a partnership between the two levels of government,” said the CS.

He also recognised the contribution of private and faith-based health facilities, as well as healthcare workers, in delivering services to Kenyans.

The CS said the First Lady would lead a plenary session on maternal health as part of the summit.

Duale told the summit that the Government would use a town hall session to respond to questions from Kenyans and present its record on health reforms.

“Tonight, we shall have a town hall on health. We shall answer all questions for four hours,” he said.

He said the session would also feature testimonials from patients, professional associations, governors and county leadership.

One of the issues the Government would address was the financing of primary healthcare, according to Duale.

He noted that Sh27 billion had been allocated to the primary healthcare architecture in the previous financial year and Sh19 billion in the current financial year.

Duale said the Government would explain why it was investing heavily in primary healthcare as part of its UHC strategy.

“We are presenting the record so that Kenyans can compare what we promised and what we have delivered up to now,” Duale said.