Nairobi — The Ministry of Health has rolled out a nationwide health facility census aimed at identifying gaps in the healthcare sector and enhancing service delivery.
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha said Monday when she presided over the launch of the exercise in Nairobi that the assessment will provide evidence for policy formulation, planning, and programming within the health sector.
Nakhumicha stated that the two-week initiative is a partnership between the National and County governments, the private sector, faith-based organizations and is supported by luminaries of the healthcare sector.
"The exercise will serve as a baseline assessment for monitoring and evaluation of investments into the health sector," Nakhumicha said.
The Health CS stated that the health facility census will greatly inform the country's investments to health with a focus on health personnel, health infrastructure, health products and technologies.
She added that the exercise will also play a critical role towards the realization and provision of quality health services to the citizens as envisioned in the Kenyan constitution.
The assessment exercise will be conducted by officers from the Ministry, health professional regulatory agencies and County Governments.
Nakhumicha pointed out that though Kenya has made significant strides in the healthcare sector since independence, a lot remains to be done.
She noted that the economic gains the country has made over the past years can easily be reversed by crippling healthcare costs.
The Health CS stated that the Government is committed to the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as espoused in the Bottom up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
"For that reason, attainment of Universal Health Coverage is a critical pillar of the government's strategy for sustained economic development," she added.
To achieve UHC, Nakhumicha pointed out that the government in collaboration with County Governments and other key stakeholders in the health sector has prioritized provision of primary health care including a focus on Community Health Promoters within the community level.
In an effort to accelerate the attainment of UHC, Nakhumicha said that the government has prioritized Primary Health Care including a focus on Community Health Promoters at the community level.
"This endeavor will shift the focus of health sector investment to preventive and promotive health care. The government in collaboration with county governments and other key stakeholders will work towards strengthening the primary health care system including its governance with the establishment of Primary Care Networks (PCNs)," she added.
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She stated that the PCNs shall be organized in a hub and spoke model and will be linked with the higher levels of the health system for a seamless continuum of care.
On his part, the Council of Governors (CoG) Health Committee chair Muthomi Njuki said that the governors across the 47 counties remain committed to ensure the success of the UHC in the country.
Njuki praised the Health Ministry's decision to decentralize a portion of healthcare professionals to the counties, noting that the move will alleviate the challenges faced by counties grappling with shortages of health personnel.
