Kenya: Senate Health Committee Wants More Funds Allocated to Counties

25 June 2023
Capital FM (Nairobi)

Murang'a — The Senate committee for health is mooting for more resources to counties that will facilitate promotion and preventive healthcare.

The committee's chairperson Jackson Mandago, Friday said the national and county governments will partner to ensure primary health care is given priority and promoted so as to curb many challenges facing the health sector in the country.

The senator noted for the countries to realize universal healthcare, more resources are needed to be channeled to support primary healthcare saying as the senate they are working to ensure counties get increased budgetary allocation to fund promotional and preventive health care.

He revealed through partnership between the two levels of governments, close to 100, 000 community health volunteers will be recruited and trained so as to promote preventive healthcare at villages.

Some decades ago, the Uasin Gishu senator observed that primary healthcare was well done saying the current situation where people have been greatly affected especially by noncommunicable diseases is because priority is currently given on curative instead of preventive.

He added that starting from next financial year, money has been allocated to equip level -1 and level - 2 health facilities to enable them to promote primary healthcare.

He divulged the government is yet to complete a framework in implementation of universal healthcare saying the senate will have a sitting with the ministry of health, NHIF and council of governors so as to work on a seamless framework for full implementation of universal health coverage.

In Murang'a, the senators who visited on invitation of the county senator, Joe Nyutu, the committee members called for recruitment of more health personnel to improve services delivery.

In Muriranja's level - 3 hosptal, members of the committee expressed concern on shortage of nurses after they revealed the facility has a shortage of 26 nurses.

Senator Nyutu had petitioned the senate after numerous complaints levelled against the health sector in Murang'a county.

Nyutu after the visit said they had established that some improvements are needed to ensure residents get better services from local health facilities. - Kna

Read the original article on Capital FM.

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