Laikipia invests in primary healthcare, diagnostics for UHC

The Laikipia county government is investing in primary healthcare and diagnostic equipment to help achieve universal healthcare. 

Governor Ndiritu Muriithi on Monday said UHC was being achieved by ensuring high-quality health and sanitation in all eateries and food-handling facilities.

Other strategies include educating residents about healthy lifestyle and nutrition, expansion of waste collection and installation of sewer systems in all small towns,

Laikipia is also promoting and enforcing separation of waste at source and encouraging investment in waste recycling.

Muriithi said his administration is also in the process of installing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerised Tomography (CT) scans and additional dialysis capacity at Laikipia Health Services (LHS) in  Nanyuki and LHS Nyahururu.

“In addition, we will also be able to provide enhanced laboratory diagnostic equipment in all LHS hubs,” the governor told the Star.

The governor said implementation of a one-hospital technology platform to network all the LHS facilities will enhance the medicine fill-up rate.

As part of rebranding, the Laikipia Health Services is renovating, equipping, staffing and upgrading all its 90 healthcare outlets.

It is already rolling out sample referral and outreach clinics for chronic diseases to ensure-high quality care of patients.

To finance UHC, Muriithi said, he will incentivise households and businesses to enrol and sustain payment of NHIF contributions, expand the number of private medical insurance providers for LHS and develop blended innovative medical insurance products.

“The county will be supporting the extremely poor and vulnerable households to pay for the NHIF. So far 28,000 households are enjoying the subsidy,” he said.

(Edited by V. Graham)