The Ministry of Health has upgraded the Kericho County Referral Hospital into a Level 5 hospital.
Announcing the decision at the upgrade award ceremony at the facility, Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha said that the upgrade cost the Ministry Sh210 million.
The event was attended by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who reiterated that the upgrade of the Kericho County Referral Hospital will greatly enhance the delivery of healthcare services to the residents of Kericho and its surroundings.
The Deputy President also inaugurated the Oncology Unit Centre, the Oxygen Concentration Plant at the hospital, and the Biosafety Level 3 Tuberculosis Dependency Laboratory at the Kemri Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
The Deputy President said that the government has invested in and given priority to the health sector, announcing that the national government has recruited more than one hundred thousand Community Health Promoters (CHP) who will push the government agenda on Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The community health promoters will be helpful in detecting illnesses and making referrals to the health facilities within the county, depending on the severity of the symptoms portrayed by the patient.
Gachagua reiterated the benefits of the universal health coverage programme, which are to cut the cost incurred to treat illnesses as well as the early diagnosis of illnesses. Primary healthcare, which involves prevention, will cut the cost of health care services.
The Deputy President also officially opened the Pre-Mashujaa Universal Health Coverage Conference at the Kapkatet Stadium. The four-day conference will facilitate familiarisation with the universal health coverage kits as well as host a health expo for different health partners.
Nakhumicha said a further Sh50 million will be disbursed to the County Government of Kericho to further upgrade the state of the newly upgraded Kericho Level 5 Hospital.
The CS further announced that the Ministry had contributed Sh20 million to the Kapkatet Sub-County Hospital to facilitate the creation of an intensive care unit in the facility.
She also announced the national government’s intention of replacing the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) with the Social Health Authority (SHA).
One of the benefits of the Social Health Authority, the CS says, is that people will now be contributing less than what they used to contribute to NHIF. One will be contributing Sh300 instead of the previous Sh500 monthly.
The second benefit of the SHA is that all illnesses and sicknesses will be covered. Under NHIF, there are services that are not covered.
The Social Health Insurance Bill that Parliament has passed establishes the Social Health Authority as well as the Emergency Chronic and Critical Illness Fund. This fund will cater to both road accident victims and patients with chronic diseases such as cancer and high blood pressure.
Accident victims, as well as those with chronic illnesses, will therefore not incur costs, as the Emergency Chronic and Critical Illness Fund will facilitate their treatment.
Kericho Governor Eric Mutai has welcomed the national government’s move to upgrade the facility, saying it will further enhance his government’s efforts to provide quality, affordable healthcare services to the people of Kericho.
Also present at the occasion were the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection Florence Bore, Medical Services PS Harry Kimutai, his counterpart for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni, Ainamoi MP Amb. Benjamin Langat, and Kipkelion East MP Joseph Cherorot.
The governor received the upgrade certificate from the Deputy President on behalf of the hospital board.
By Dominic Cheres and James Kipees
