Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has lauded the healthcare services in Kiambu County, highlighting the quality of care and the progress, especially in digitization.
Speaking during an inspection tour of Kiambu Hospital after launching the emergency polio vaccination campaign in Ruiru Sub County Friday, Nakumicha said her visit was part of a broader national assessment aimed at evaluating public health facilities’ service levels.
“I am impressed by the maternity services. The ward is bustling, and the women seemed very satisfied with the care they were receiving,” she said.
The CS was equally impressed by the strides made in digitising health services in the county.
“Out of 114 facilities, 70 percent are now digitally linked, enabling efficient tracking of health products and technologies,” she noted.
The CS noted that the ultimate goal is to connect all the facilities to KEMSA to streamline communication and supply management.
During the visit, Nakhumicha also addressed the issue of patients travelling from other counties, such as Machakos and Kitui, to access services in Kiambu, saying this indicates some gaps in the healthcare provision of the said counties that need to be investigated and addressed.
While acknowledging the governor’s efforts in improving healthcare in the county, Nakhumicha pointed out some areas for improvement, such as health financing and the NHIF registration process.
She urged the county to enhance their systems to claim from the Linda Mama Fund, a government initiative providing free maternity services.
On the issue of counties owing money to KEMSA, Nakhumicha revealed that counties cumulatively owe the authority Sh 2 billion but commended Kiambu County for not owing KEMSA anything, urging other counties to emulate the county and settle their debts.
The CS assured Kenyans that the fill rate at KEMSA would be over 80 percent within the next two months, signalling an improvement in the supply of medical products.
Two weeks ago, around 70,600 poor households in Kiambu County were ratified after registering with the NHIF, translating into about 280,000 residents of Kiambu County being offered health insurance.
By Cecilia Njoki and Kevin Gitau
