Laikipia county government is seeking partnership with private health facilities in an effort to reduce medical flight in search of specialised treatment overseas.
Speaking during the official inauguration of Cottage Hospital, Nanyuki town branch, the area Governor Mr. Joshua Irungu said that the Public Private Partnership would ensure that residents access quality health services without travelling abroad to seek services that can be availed to them at an affordable rates.
“I cannot deliver on my manifesto on efficient delivery of health services without partnership with others, not competition but the synergy complementing each other for the county and the nation. We have to get specialised treatment closer to the people to avoid them from seeking medical services abroad and yet we have the ability,” said the governor
The governor said the majority of Kenyans were left in abject poverty as they sought medical treatment abroad including holding fundraising.
The county boss said that, with private hospitals’ advanced skills and medical equipment, they would develop a skills-based exchange programme aimed at ensuring residents access quality health care.
“When we have cases, we can cooperate in sharing skills. You have equipment and advanced skills which our people might not be having. Let our surgeons come and learn, they will end up giving our people quality services,” revealed Irungu.
Irungu further said that Public hospitals were not in competition with private hospitals but rather they were required to complement each other for quality of services.
Nanyuki Cottage Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Anup Das said that, with the Public-Private partnership, it would ensure medics from public hospitals in Laikipia get internships and other specialised training aimed at delivering quality treatment to residents.
“We are already discussing with the county government for Public-Private partnership on how we are able to help each other, specifically the Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital on how to ensure the community access affordable and quality health care,” said Dr Das.
The CEO revealed that cottage hospital which is a level 5 facility is set to have an advanced Laparoscopy system for minimal access surgery which would ensure that patients get treatment without doing surgery.
Das said that the machine, which is one of a kind, would be the second such installation globally, the first being in India.
The CEO revealed that with the township outpatient hospital it would offer family medicine, general surgeries, physiotherapy ,optometrist and Ophthalmologist treatment among other medical services to low income earners in the county without digging deeper into their pocket amid tough high cost of living.
Meanwhile, every year, according to Ministry of Health (MOH) 2015-2020 report on Medical Tourism, it reveals that, majority of Kenyans travel to India, South Africa, United Kingdom and United State in search of treatment for cancer, renal ailment and other non-communicable diseases attributed to lack of specialised medical equipment and high treatment costs.
By Muturi Mwangi
