NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 4 – Conflicting laws and internal wrangles have been cited as critical issues that have been a stumbling block to implementing Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The National Assembly’s Health Committee was told that the two Principal Secretaries in the State Department of Medical Services and Public Health aren’t in communicating terms a situation that has hindered implementation of healthcare services.
“People hardly talk to each other at the State Department of Health, and State Department of Public Health. It is like Rwanda and DR Congo,” the chairperson of the taskforce Khama Rogo said.
The Presidential Taskforce on Health indicated that the litany of laws which sometimes overlap have made it difficult to manage healthcare workers.
Rogo urged lawmakers to canvass a measure to eradicate some laws within the sector that have hindered the implementation of health services in the country.
This is even as it emerged that the Ministry of Health has no data on total number of healthcare workers in the country who fall into at least 43 different cadres.
The committee chaired by Endebes MP Robert Pukose was told that the health data in the country is owned by the donors who include intra health and USAID
Seme MP James Nyikal questioned why the government was depending on donors for their own data pointing to negligence.
“We want our own data. We cannot accept data by USAID,” said Nyikal.
The taskforce admitted that the health scheme is faced with numerous challenges that needs fixing to ensure that the system functions smoothly.
“SHA is a secondary human resources component…right now, where we are we are in a fix edge that we seem to move forward but the wheels move aside,” observed Rogo.
In response, Pukose said. “There are teething problems that are there just like when a new system come in place but we need to fix that”.
MPs were told a number of individuals manning hospitals are not professionals which has derailed the progress of building a strong health sector.
“A senior public health officer when he retires, he is replaced by drivers. We have seen positions of a medical officer being replaced by non medical officer to get higher pay,” Rogo noted.
The National Assembly Committee on health demanded for an establishment of clear roles across respective cadres in the ministry.
The committee gazetted by President William Ruto in July last year to look into matters affecting health workers with a view of streamlining the health sector.
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