The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has called on the government to significantly increase its budgetary allocation to the health sector, citing serious concerns about the deteriorating quality of healthcare services, particularly in public hospitals across the country.
KNCHR Chairperson Roseline Odede highlighted the alarming poor of healthcare services, due to poor infrastructure, a lack of essential medicines, and insufficient human personnel as major impediments facing the sector.
“Patients in public hospitals are reportedly receiving sub-standard care due to these inadequacies,” Odede emphasized.
The commission also raised concerns over the chronic shortage of healthcare providers in Kenyan health facilities.
The Chairperson noted that as of November 2021, the doctor – patient ratio stood at one to 3,797, significantly below the UN World Health Organization’s recommended ratio of one to 600 as of 2020.
Odede said that the report revealed deficiencies in the ratio of nurses to patients, falling below WHO recommendations.
While the commission acknowledged the positive increase in the proportion of live births assisted by skilled providers from 41 percent in 2003 to 89 percent in 2022, regional disparities persist. The lowest rates were observed in Turkana, Mandera, Wajir, Samburu, and Tana River counties.
Moreover, the commission raised concerns about post-natal care disparities for women in the first two days after live births, with the lowest percentages being recorded in Wajir, Marsabit, Meru, Garissa, and Mandera counties.
“The commission also called for the protection of women and girls from obstetric violence,” said the Chairperson.
The KNCHR blamed low public participation in the development of regulations under the new Social Health Insurance Act, of 2023.
The commission stressed the need for broader public awareness regarding the provisions and implications of the new health laws.
Odede highlighted concerns that changing premium contributions from monthly to annual may impose a significant financial strain on Kenyans, potentially discouraging new membership and restricting access to care for needy households under the Act.
By Silus Waswa
