The Ministry of Health is committed to investing in the professional development of Nurses and Midwives, with plans to deploy a Nurse to every county as a champion to steer the success of the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Dr. Deborah Barasa said that they have realized that when Nurses head programs, they ensure success and that is why they are working on their continuous professional development for not only clinical skills, but also leadership skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
Speaking in Nairobi during the County Chief Nursing Officers’ Workshop, Dr. Barasa said that the Ministry is committed to supporting programs that will enhance capacity of the Nursing and Midwifery workforce.
“As Nurses and Midwives, we need to engage actively with policy makers, county leadership, and other stakeholders to ensure that the voices of Nurses and Midwives are represented at all levels,” she said.
The CS said that in today’s ever-changing healthcare environment, there is need to embrace innovative approaches to healthcare delivery adding that from leveraging digital health solutions to adapting to new treatment protocols, Nurses and Midwives must be at the forefront of change.
“I have been told that you want to improve your data collection through an AI technological system for Nurses and Midwives and you will be adopting this technological system in this workshop. This gives me great honor for the Nurses and Midwives. It also gives me great hope of success in the roll out of SHA,” said the CS.
Dr. Barasa said that Nurses and Midwives are often the first point of contact for patients and communities providing not only medical care but also compassion, support, and a sense of security to those in need.
“You are the face of health services across our diverse communities, and your role is central to the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Kenya,” she said.
The CS said that as leaders in this field, Nurses and Midwives have the potential to transform healthcare delivery by ensuring that every Kenyan, regardless of background or geography, has access to quality healthcare services.
“As your Cabinet Secretary, I want to assure you of the Ministry of Health’s unwavering support. We recognize the challenges that you face, including resource limitations, infrastructure gaps, and workload pressures. Together, we are committed to addressing these challenges and to creating an environment where Nursing and Midwifery thrive,” said Dr. Barasa.
The CS thanked all the partners that have been working with the Nurses and Midwives to realize their visions including the World Health Organization (WHO) who supported the workshop, Johnson & Johnson, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), JHPIEGO, among others.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
