Health Sector

The Health Sector: Revolutionary Measures

Kenya’s health sector faces huge challenges. Problems have just been pilling due to decades of neglect and mismanagement. New problems have emerged such as a near cancer epidemic which has met a very unprepared system- (doctors, diagnosis, technology, care, etc). In the past billions collected as hospital fee simply disappeared.  Kenyans today have to pay every ailment.  As millions of Kenyans cannot afford, they only seek medical services to avert imminent death. Patients have to wait for as much as 8 hours to see a doctor. Patients sometimes encounter very rude receiption by hospital personnel as cases reported in Kisumu, Bungoma, Kenyatta National Hospital and Busia show. All hospitals lack medicine and equipment. For example there are only 2 cancer machines in Kenya using the 1960s technology and only one of the machines operates well. Our medical personnel are heavily overworked yet lack basic supplies such as gloves, syringes, uniforms, etc. Kenya has a shortage of 140,000 medical personnel. Some patients including pregnant mothers are forced to walk for tens of kilometers to get to a health centre.

Given that many patients who seek treatment in hospitals are unable to pay for the treatment bills, they are detained in the hospitals (see the You Tubes below). Even dead bodies are detained in morgues when bereaved families are unable to pay for the medical bills. This adds pain to very distraught families many of whom have sold the last valuable items in life to save the life of their dear one who unfortunately still dies.

With good governance, Kenya’s health sector can be fixed very easily. The GGT-K will push for the implementation of free health services. It shall require the implementation of over 20 measures in the health sector. These measures shall ensure that no Kenyan shall ever again be denied treatment in public hospitals for lack of money. No patients or dead bodies shall ever again be detained in hospitals. The huge burden Kenyans today shoulder by fundraising everywhere, should be ended.

Current Situation

You Tube

1. Patients At Nyeri Referral Hospital Forced To Share Beds
2. Published on Jun 3, 2015
3. see TV Report: Shocking story of a woman who delivered all by herself on the floor; Bungoma hospital ordeal elicits different reactions from leaders
4. see Bweta La Uhalifu : Rufaa Mahututi K24; KNH Defends Itself After Being Exposed On K24's 'Bweta La Uhalifu'
5. Make our health institutions friendly, welcoming and brotherly at all times (see TV Report: Shocking story of a woman who delivered all by herself on the floor; Bungoma hospital ordeal elicits different reactions from leaders)
6. End detention of patients, mothers, the elderly, and children for inability to pay medical bills (see this TV Clips: Baby detained at Nakuru war Memorial Hospital since birth last December for lack of hospital fee –KTN Kenya;Student detained in Nakuru hospital –KTN Kenya; Detained patients released- NTV Kenya). Some are detained for years.
7. Cholera outbreak in Migori and Homa Bay counties, 8 killed in past week
8. Cholera Epidemic: 'Dirty man's' disease claims 38 lives countrywide
9. End detention of the dead in the morgues due to inability to pay bills (Woman SMS Uhuru seeking help,Uhuru calls back and assists
10. New mothers share beds at Kenyatta National Hospital
11. Kenyan mothers too poor to pay for treatment locked up in hospital
12. Dad wants Sh4 million for kidney to have son's body released for burial –[the hospital is demanding 4m ($40,000) and his fundraising efforts has yielded Ksh.35,000 ($35) only]

For mentally ill patients in Kisumu, it’s a hard life

A patient on a mattress under a bed at the Kenyatta National Hospital, which is facing congestion due to a rise in the number of referrals from other counties. Photo/PATRICK VIDIJA

A patients sits on a mattress under a bed at the Kenyatta National Hospital, which is facing congestion due to a rise in the number of referrals from other counties. Photo/PATRICK VIDIJA

Patients at the Kenyatta National Hospita share a space on the floor at the hospital facing congestion due to a rise in the number of referral patients from other counties. Photo/PATRICK VIDIJA

A ward for mental patients at the Kisumu District Hospital. PHOTO | VERAH OKEYO | NATION MEDIA GROUP