Revenue collected from public health facilities in Nakuru County in the past four years has steadily risen from Sh405 million to the current Sh1.17 billion.
Public Health Chief Officer Mr Samuel King’ori said the County administration has fully adopted automated revenue collection technology in over 95 percent of public health facilities to enhance service delivery and accountability.
Speaking when he led a 11-member Health Committee from Kajiado County on a tour of Nakuru Level 5 Teaching and Referral Hospital, Mr King’ori observed that the modern form of transaction besides eliminating handling of hard cash enabled the management to track the number of patients receiving medical services, the ailments afflicting them and diagnosis and treatment made by health practitioners.
He explained that collection in the department gradually improved from Sh405 million in 2017, Sh597 million in 2018, Sh957 million in 2019 and Sh1.17 billion in 2020.
The officials from Kajiado led by its County Assembly’s Health Committee chairman Moses Kujero are in Nakuru on a benchmarking tour on the region’s health sector.
The revenue was generated from the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital (PGH), PGH Annex wing, Bahati hospital, Naivasha, Gilgil, Molo, Olenguruone, Elburgon, Subukia, Njoro, Langalanga, Kabazi, Keringet, and Mirugi Kariuki.
Other hospitals are Bondeni maternity located within Nakuru Town East and Mogotio hospital in Rongai.
“Through the automated system, patients deposit payment for bills for medical services through bank agents and M-Pesa and are issued with receipts. We have also put in place an efficient audit and accounting system that will track how the distributed drugs and supplies procured from the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) are used,” he offered.
Mr King’ori revealed the increased revenue has facilitated the construction of over 50 percent of the ongoing Sh1 billion construction of hospitals and dispensaries across all the 11 sub-counties.
“Improved revenue collection has been a major boost in improving health infrastructure even as Nakuru allocated 32 per cent, amounting to Sh6.3 billion, of its total budget to healthcare financing in the 2020/2021 financial year. We are committed to using part of the funds to upgrade health facilities across the County to ease congestion at the Nakuru Level 5 Hospital,” noted Mr King’ori.
The Chief Officer said the upgrade works were on-going at the Nakuru Referral and Teaching Hospital, Naivasha and Molo Sub-County hospitals at a cost of Sh600 million, Sh300 million and Sh100 million respectively.
Other facilities targeted for infrastructure uplift and equipment are Gilgil Mental Hospital and Elburgon Sub County hospitals with each being allocated Sh40 million.
At the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital, upgrade works include setting up a modern radiotherapy unit and an outpatient complex. Due to the high number of accident casualties on the Nakuru-Naivasha Highway, the County was setting up a fully operational theatre facility at Naivasha Sub-County Hospital, added Dr. Gichuki.
Mr Kujero said his committee would push for automated revenue collection in all major health facilities in Kajiado County adding that there were numerous cases of county officers, who receive cash from the public but fail to submit it.
He said adoption of automation would go a long way in helping Kajiado county reach its annual revenue targets, a feat it has not attained since the devolved units were created.
By Anne Mwale
