KENYA – Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has said the government will stay committed in its quest to ensure that provision of health services is responsive to the needs of respective communities.
Speaking at the Kigumo Sub-County hospital in Murang’a County during the laying of a foundation stone for new facilities, the health CS said the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic has presented new dynamics that demand well-functioning health systems.
“The ongoing expansion of hospitals and healthcare centres across the country is geared towards driving equitable and quality healthcare by enabling them to improve on the healthcare they deliver,” observed the CS.
Kagwe said it was gratifying to witness the expansion of hospitals across the country saying improving access to healthcare contributes to better health outcomes and increases the productivity of the people leading to economic growth.
He said the Universal Health Coverage under the President’s Big 4 agenda will go a long way in ensuring that citizens, regardless of their social status, can access quality healthcare services.
“Our president, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta has always attached great importance to the development of public health in Kenya which is why he personally promised to ensure that this hospital has been expanded.” Observed the health CS.
He lauded Murang’a County government for its innovative concept that involves the deployment of motorcycles to collect TB samples for onward transmission to the main laboratory located in Murang’a Level-5 Hospital saying it has eased the burden for those seeking Such services.
“We are determined as a national Government to support efforts geared towards the improvement of health care services in the Counties. Its indeed just this concern that has seen Nairobi County get over twenty-five new facilities thereby easing pressure on the referral hospitals of Kenyatta and others besides bringing services closer to the people,” Kagwe said.
This even as he challenged those managing health facilities to consider integrating tele-health technologies in their operations to ensure more people access quality healthcare.
“Whereas expansion of physical facilities is important, its equally good to embrace telehealth technologies to ensure that even from the comfort of home, patients are able to access health services. For those with chronic diseases, we can use the same technology for follow ups,” Said the CS.
In addition to this, the ministry has partnered with the Kenya Prisons Service to launch the first phase of a rapid result initiative that will see all prison staff and inmates vaccinated against Covid-19 over the next five days.
Kagwe said the government is committed to ensuring that 5.8 million people are vaccinated ahead of the 58th Mashujaa day that will be celebrated on 20th of October.
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