[Opposition leader Raila Odinga (R) addresses participants at the Lake Region Economic Bloc Health Conference at Kisii University, March 30, 2017. Photo/Raila Odinga/facebook]
Opposition leader Raila Odinga has called on both National and county governments to help revamp the health sector.
During the Lake Region Economic Bloc Health Conference (LREB) at Kisii University, Raila issued several requests, that he said will help Kenyans get quality health care.
''1. We need equity, universality, affordability and quality in the health sector.
2. Our expenditure in health care must prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable, who suffer the largest burden of disease. This means prioritizing greater investment in access and protection measures for the poor.
3. Time has come for Kenya to roll out a medical scheme, including health insurance that is capable of delivering quality health care services to all our people.
4. We must bridge the gap between rural and urban population with regard to access to affordable healthcare facilities by building and managing hospitals and clinics in areas where majority of our people live.
5. We should aim at ensuring that in the next five years, the big cities and urban centres won't be the only ones with access to excellent health facilities, and people won't have to travel from their villages, in search of good doctors and hospitals.
6. Our counties also need to partner with financial institutions to start specialized finance options for those looking to invest in the sector.
7. We need to press banks to offer customized solutions to fit the needs of doctors, diagnostics centres, hospitals, and nursing homes in the counties. This will enable more people to have access to great healthcare in the years to come.
8. There remains a significant need for the establishment of a Health Service Commission to help us realize these goals.
9. A Health Service Commission would free Counties from the heavy responsibility of human resource management and allocation while allowing them to focus their resources and energies on managing health facilities, providing pharmaceutical services and medical supplies and ensuring the availability and functionality of diagnostic equipment.
10. I want to appeal to the County Public Service Boards in all the counties to follow on the footsteps of Mombasa and pay doctors so that we can put the crisis behind us.
11. This is money that was already budgeted for.
12. The directive by the Ministry of Health to withhold pay arrears amounts to bad faith that can only poison the waters leading to poor service delivery for wananchi.''
The two-days event was officially opened by Health Cabinet Secretary Dr Cleopa Mailu, who assured the government's commitment to improving access to healthcare.
The conference brought together county and private health sector professionals and stakeholders from the Bloc which has 13 member counties. They include: Kisumu, Kakamega, Kisii, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Bomet, Trans Nzoia, Siaya, Nyamira, Busia, Kericho, Vihiga and Migori counties. Also present was the host governor James Ongwae, his Kisumu counterpart Jack Ranguma (the Bloc's chairman), Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) bosses, among others. Topics were taking centre stage in the discussions include disease burden, high HIV prevalence in the region, malaria prevention and control, infant mortality and inadequate human resource capacity in medical facilities. The event kicked off, March 29.