Bungoma Governor, Mr. Kenneth Lusaka, has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to ensure residents get quality and affordable healthcare.
Speaking at Mechimeru Health Centre in East Sang’alo Ward, Kanduyi Constituency, during the primary health care launch, Lusaka pointed out that the county government is dedicated to global, national, and regional efforts to accelerate Universal Health coverage.
“This is a global agenda towards promoting health services to be more accessible, affordable, and acceptable to the communities in Bungoma County,” he said.
Lusaka stated that primary health care is a holistic societal approach to health that aims to ensure the highest possible level of health and wellbeing and equitable distribution by focusing on people’s needs.
He added that his government, through the implementation of primary health care, will align with national priorities to strengthen access to health services, ensure quality of health services, protect the people of Bungoma from financial risks of ill health, and strengthen the responsiveness of the health system.
Lusaka noted that his government has allocated Sh200 million this financial year for the implementation of primary health care activities. “This is the first budget line to have ever been considered as an allocation specifically for Primary Health Care since the beginning of devolution,” he said.
The governor, in collaboration with development partners, managed to launch a primary health care caravan, which will be instrumental in promoting proactive outreach services to the communities within the County to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases, cancer, and mental health illnesses and increase immunisation coverage.
Bungoma County Government is also establishing health centres in all the county’s 45 wards, with 19 health centres already in existence and plans underway to upgrade 26 dispensaries into health centres in the wards.
“Community Health Promoters (CHP) will also be given health promoter kits (HPK) to enhance community-level service provision,” said Lusaka, adding that “CHPs will be trained this July on digital data collection and given smart phones to enhance the capture of information from households.”
The Governor also announced that the community health promoters (CHPs), formerly Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), will have an increase in their stipend, rising to Sh2,500, with the National Government giving them the same amount.
Deputy Governor Janepher Mbatiany, CEC Health and Sanitation Ms. Andrew Wamalwa, David Wamamili (Education and VTCs), and County Assembly Health Committee Chairman George Makari were present.
By Meshack Wekesa and Roseland Lumwamu
