Garissa Governor Nathif Jama has urged public and private health stakeholders to join forces to ensure affordable access to better healthcare services in the county.
Speaking during the official opening of Emirates hospital at Bula Takwa in Garissa town, Jama said that public and private facilities should not be seen as competing with each other but rather join forces in service delivery to the public.
The newly opened hospital will offer 24 hours services that include consultation, accident, and emergency, in and outpatient, pharmacy, laboratory, dental as well as optical services.
Other services are ultrasound, x-ray, theatre dialysis, maternal and child clinic, Maternity, pediatrics, antenatal, postnatal, physiotherapy, and specialist clinics.
“This is a big facility with everything that is required as far as treatment or attending to patients’ needs is concerned. The most important thing is ensuring that our people get the best services,” Jama said.
Jama also called on interested stakeholders to invest in the sector adding that the fact there were other public health facilities in the county does not mean that those willing to invest in the health sector by opening their facilities could not do so.
“We need to have many hospitals providing services for our people, both public and private so that they can complement each other, especially in reducing the mother-child mortality rates,” Jama said.
The governor pledged to work with NHIF officials to ensure members of the public in the area are registered to benefit from their services using their insurance cards.
“The Constitution of Kenya spells out the right of every Kenyan to quality health care services without sinking deeper into poverty. We will create awareness for our people to register for NHIF,” he said.
By Abdihakim Sharif and Grace Kamau
