The County Government of Kilifi has launched an aggressive primary health outreach campaign aimed at taking medical services to the grassroots.
Specialists in various medical and dental fields from the Kilifi County Referral Hospital as well as the Malindi and Mariakani Sub County Hospitals will each month be visiting rural health centres to offer free medical services that are only accessible at the hospitals.
The campaign dubbed ‘Afya Mashinani’ is aimed at reducing the cost of medication for county residents from remote areas who have been travelling for long distances to access specialized medical services from the Level Four facilities.
It is being funded by the County Government of Kilifi and executed by primary health care networks (PCNs) established by the Ministry of Health to link and strengthen health care services through building a person-centred approach to health.
Hundreds of patients from Jilore ward and its neighbours thronged the Baolala Health Centre in Langobaya division and received treatment from specialists who are usually found on appointments at the Malindi Sub County Hospitals.
The specialists include psychiatrists, paediatricians, gynaecologists, ear, nose and throat experts, ophthalmologists, orthopaedics, dentists and surgeons. They will visit the rural health facilities on schedules days monthly to attend to their respective patients.
Dr. Edward Mumbo, the Head Primary Health Care at the Kilifi County Government’s Department of Health, told journalists that the campaign aims at reaching patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure among others who have been receiving treatment at the hospitals.
“We realized that patients were incurring huge costs travelling long distances to seek treatment. For us to meet the goal of Vision 2030 on universal health coverage, it is imperative that such services are taken closer to the people,” he said.
We have also come here with surgeons to follow up on their patients who were being attended to in Malindi so that their files can be transferred here so that they do not have to travel to Malindi for follow-up, he added.
Dr. Mumbo said there are 31 health facilities across the seven sub counties, which will be visited by the specialists, adding that area that are far from health facilities will also be reached through special outreaches.
“The networks will be conducting specific outreaches to those areas according on a needs basis so that those who are far from health facilities can also be served,” he said.
Dr. Were Norine, a gynaecologist at the Malindi Sub County Hospital, said the programme had given consultants an opportunity to see their patients who may have failed to return for follow-ups as well as people who had stayed with chronic conditions for long due to the cost of travelling to the hospital.
“We decided that instead of coming with only one consultant, we come with a group of consultants whose services are only available at the hospital.
Malindi Sub County Medical Officer of Health (MoH) Emily Karisa said the aim of the outreaches is to implement the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) championed by the Ministry of Health, which she said had been embraced by County Governor Gideon Mung’aro.
She called upon residents to register themselves with the Social Health Insurance Fund in order to access medical services with ease.
Jilore Ward Representative Hamisi Jambo lauded the county government for the service, which he said had been a great relief to area residents and the residents of neighbouring wards such as Adu, Chakama and Marafa.
Patients who spoke to journalists also lauded the move and called on the authorities to increase the frequency of such visits.
By Emmanuel Masha
