Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha disclosed that Universal Health Coverage failed to succeed in the previous administration as it was anchored in the law.
Speaking on Wednesday, September 13, the Health CS noted that it lacked requisite policy, legal institutional, and regulatory frameworks meant to develop and implement a conducive legal foundation for the implementation of the program.
“UHC failed in the previous two attempts because it was not hinged on any law that is why we have come up with the four bills. The other big reason why it did not materialize is many people got registered but they went all swamped to the high level of services therefore exhausting all the cover,” she stated.
However, CS Nakhumicha backed her agenda of coming up with the four health bills indicating that they constituted a vital component of a broader strategy aimed at advancing UHC.
The four components enshrined in the Bill include the Primary Health Care Bill, 2023, Digital Health Bill, 2023, Facility Improvement Financing Bill, 2023; and Social Health Insurance Bill, 2023.
According to the Bill, every employee will be required to contribute 2.75 per cent of their gross pay to fund healthcare.
“UHC will ensure all Kenyans access health care affordably without suffering any financial loss based on primary health care through focusing on preventing diseases, promoting wellness, and providing rehabilitative services,” Nakhumicha stated.
The current health system in Kenya is focused on curative services where people want to seek services at the highest level leaving those at the lower level so we want to have a total paradigm shift on how we deliver health care starting at the base because this is a Bottom-up administration. This has informed our recruitment of 100,000 fully equipped and kitted CHPs where each will be in charge of 100 households to reduce the long queues at the advanced facilities like KNH” she added.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta piloted the UHC programme December 12, 2018.
The pilot UHC program was conducted in four counties – Isiolo, Kisumu, Machakos, and Nyeri. They were selected because they are characterized by high incidence of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, maternal mortality, and road traffic injuries.
Some challenges faced during the piloting of the scheme included increased workload but a shortage of health care providers and adequate space to accommodate the large numbers of patients seeking health services.
