Members of Parliament have vowed to rally behind Cabinet Secretary for Health Nakhumicha S. Wafula in her quest of actualising implementation of Universal Health Coverage set for launch on October 20.
Speaking over the weekend in Nyanza during President William Ruto’s working tour,the lawmakers across the political devide said they will rally behind Nakhumicha in her plans to improve health care in the country by approval of the bills currently on the floor of both houses.
Uriri MP Mark Nyamita said they will continue vouching for execution of government agenda which impacts positively to the wellbeing of area locals
“Our association with President Ruto’s administration remains unwavering as it has paid off heavily so far.There are those who are reading much into our friendship but that won’t stop us from meeting the Head of State and telling him issues affecting our people. Even at bunge,we will do our best in pushing for legislation which aims to assist CS Nakhumicha in her pursuit of ensuring UHC goes through as envisioned in Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA)” he stated
President Ruto affirmed his commitment of laying in place programs and mechanisms geared towards delivering of
access to affordable health care which proved futile during the previous regime due to reasons he attribute to handshake politics.
He noted that Migori has about 2,670 Community Health Promoters (CHPs), whom the government has provided with, about Sh52 million worth of equipment.
“Every year, we will be setting aside Sh54 million for purposes of their payment.These CHPs are the agents that will transform our health delivery from being curative to being promotive and being preventive. That is our commitment and mission,” Ruto said.
The Digital Health Bill, 2023 has undergone the second reading in the National Assembly. If approved by the House, the legislation will provide for a framework for provision of digital health services, establish a comprehensive integrated digital health information system, data governance and protection of personal health information, service delivery through digital health interventions, e-waste disposal, and health tourism.
The Bill focuses on the establishment of the Digital Health Agency, which is poised to become a central authority for overseeing and coordinating digital health initiatives across the nation.
With a dedicated agency in place, the Government aims to streamline and enhance the delivery of digital health services.
If passed into law, it has the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery, protect patient data, and promote the responsible use of technology in the medical field.
The bill is part of four draft bills proposed to replace the NHIF Act. Social Health Insurance Bill 2023, Primary Healthcare Bill, 2023, and Facility Improvement Financing Bill, 2023 are the other 3 bills.
Appearing before Parliament last week during question and answer session, the CS continued with her rallying call to legislators to fast-track approval of laws expected to provide a framework for improved health outcomes and financial protection of families in fidelity to the State’s solemn duty to guarantee the health and welfare of all her citizens.
“Let’s all support the passage of these fundamental bills. I agree with those who have raised a bit of concerns that we should have more time for consultation but generally it’s been an all inclusive affair with views of majority of stakeholders having been captured.These bills have been developed from existing documentation and the existing documentation has been worked on together with other entities like CoG,” she affirmed
She noted that UHC in previous administrations did not succed because it was not pegged on law that provides the basis for regulating the quality of care and the institutional basis for work on health care quality
