Nyong’o admits crisis in the health sector

By David Ohito

The health sector is experiencing drug shortage and inadequate staff, Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o has admitted.

The minister said the crisis had exposed glaring disparities between the rich and the poor on their health status and how they respond when disease strikes.

"About 46 per cent of Kenyans cannot pay for healthcare services. We are faced with crises from shortage of nurses to that of specialists," said Prof Nyong’o.

He said the country does not have a cancer treatment hospital, despite the rising number of Kenyans plagued by the terminal illness.

"In some cases we use guesswork, and self-prescription, which is dangerous. We must bring down the cost of healthcare, upgrade our facilities and engage preventive measures," he said.

The picture looked even grimmer as he said the rich were gaining more from public health funding compared to the poor. "We must reverse that by building high level referral hospitals locally," said the minister.

Nyong’o said massive funds are required to correct the mess.

"We require Sh540 billion to modernise healthcare facilities and hire adequate personnel," he said.

The solution he proposed lies in the introduction of a working health insurance scheme and in which all people are required by law to contribute.

"Treasury pegs budgets on figures of previous years and do not allow for fresh ideas. This must change or Kenya sinks deeper into ill-health, which would in turn, slow down development," Nyong’o said.

Drug suppliers

He argued a long-term contract with drug suppliers would resolve the problem of shortage of supply should the Treasury be broke.

"Treasury must provide money to the ministry in time. Disease does not wait, it attacks anytime and we must change the old thinking at the Ministry of Finance to be sensitive to the needs of Kenyans," he said.

He proposed expenditure on the military and National Security Intelligence Services be reduced and invest more money in preventive and curative health services.

And yesterday, Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta said about 4,200 nurses would be hired at the beginning of March and each constituency would benefit from 20 officials to be posted to the 210 electoral areas.

Mr Uhuru, also the Deputy Prime Minister, said the nurses would help ease the problems bedevilling the health sector.