Only four counties in Kenya have recognized the Facilities Improvement Fund (FIF) which allows health facilities to manage the funds they generate.
The Counties are Kakamega, Isiolo, Mombasa and Elgeyo Marakwet.
In the FIF, the funds are managed by Health Services Management Committees. It was operational but stopped in 2013 when the health sector was devolved.
Counties are governed by the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act, 2012, where health facilities draw funds generated through cash, insurance schemes and grants from the County Revenue Fund (CRF).
Speaking to KNA, the President of the Kenya Medical Association Dr. Simon Kigondu said the FIF bill will be necessary to ensure money generated in health facilities are used for improvement of patient care and not disappearing in county coffers.
He said it leads to better health outcomes at the individual health facilities level.
“FIF is a fund that since the onset of devolution was centralized to the county government fund as opposed to allowing it to remain within the facilities,” he noted.
He said counties that have not reinforced FIF face a lot of challenges which has led to demotivated health workers and poor accountability for money generated at health facilities.
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya operationalized the Fund which operates under the Kakamega County Health Facilities Improvement Fund Regulations, 2020.
By Moses Wekesa
