Health facilities across the country have been challenged to invest in technology and data to boost service provision and treatment outcomes.
This comes even as key stakeholders in the health sector held a meeting in Nairobi on Wednesday to rally behind the government in actualising the dream of Universal Health Coverage.
The meeting will bring together key players such as the Ministry of Health, the National Health Insurance Fund and other partners.
“We know that for us to deliver on the UHC the country needs stakeholders around the table to bring those people who are involved in the space to contribute and drive some of the decision making on how we will be delivering on UHC,” country director Options Kenneth Macharia said.
The various experts have noted that investment in technology and data collection will inform the health systems and how to respond to the needs of the people that need it.
Key is by ensuring that at the very basic level the healthcare delivered in all counties across the country meet the very basic needs of those most vulnerable.
For instance, having real time data will tell what needs to be done and what sort of medication is being required in a particular area.
“All the facilities across the country should have the equipment the human resources in terms of doctors, nurses and everyone who is supposed to provide the healthcare that the patients needs,” he said.
“It speaks to critical issues like the issue of blood, do all those facilities have blood? What we should expect is that at the very basic I should get the help that I need, when I need it without having to go back to my pocket.”
Last month, people living with chronic diseases such as heart ailments, cancer and diabetes demanded that NHIF should cover full treatment.
They said they are saddled with bills because the fund pays only part of the treatment costs.
There’s no regulation on prices of treatment in Kenya, but NHIF has varying reimbursement rates for public and for private hospitals.
In August this year, the National Cancer Task Force said as part of its recommendation that there is a need to cap cancer treatment and regulate the cost of care.
