Counties should prioritise basic medical care for the vulnerable
Soweto Hospital in Nairobi's Embakasi East Constituency which was officially opened by President Uhuru Kenyatta on February 19, 2021.
What you need to know:
- The right to health services is a fundamental right guaranteed under our Constitution.
- Yet, according to a study by Kemri-Wellcome Trust, six out of 10 Kenyans lacked access to essential health services in 2014.
When the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) announced plans to build 24 hospitals in the city’s slums last year, sceptics questioned the feasibility of the plan.
The NMS, however, unlike previous city administrations, has managed to invest in providing primary healthcare for residents in low-income and vulnerable communities.
Health is a devolved function and counties have to ensure local communities get health services at affordable cost as per the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.
The right to health services is a fundamental right guaranteed under our Constitution. Yet, according to a study by Kemri-Wellcome Trust, six out of 10 Kenyans lacked access to essential health services in 2014. Four out of 10 were at risk of falling into penury due to high out-of-pocket expenses in seeking treatment.
The World Health Organization defines primary health care as the right of all people, everywhere, to receive the right care, right in their community.
Vulnerable groups
The cost of building a general or teaching hospital in Kenya is about $1,159 (Sh115,900) per square metre, according to a 2017 Africa Construction report by Deloitte. This excludes equipment and hiring medical personnel.
At a cost of Sh2 billion, the agency has built health centres in Majengo, Kayole, Soweto, Korogocho, Kawangware, Mukuru kwa Njenga, Kibra, Githurai and other informal settlements in Nairobi. For two billion shillings, the NMS has delivered primary health services to more than 2.5 million poor Kenyans in less than a year.
Counties should prioritise health services in poor and hard-to-reach areas, in line with the Health Act 2017, which allocates primary health care to counties.
In addition, primary care should include preventive health programmes targeting both communicable and non-communicable diseases.
The National Health Insurance Fund should bring on-board the informal sector and vulnerable groups like the elderly and persons with disability.
Let’s start with simple, actionable steps like NMS.
Mr Choto is a lawyer and policy analyst. [email protected]
