- The 2024 Budget Policy Statement ceiling set resource allocation to the State Department for Medical Services at Sh121.9 billion
- Annual Estimates 2024/25 has proposed a resource allocation of Sh100 billion for the department.
Image: MOH/ X
The budget allocation for the State Department for Medical Services in Financial Year 2024-25 has been reduced by Sh21 billion, documents show.
State Department for Medical Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai said the reduction in resource allocation will significantly affect the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
“UHC requires the funding of the Primary Health Care Fund, critical illness and emergency funds, operationalisation of the Social Health Authority and the operations of the day-to-day running of the State Department,” Kimtai said.
Kimtai made the remarks when he appeared before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Health for consideration of the Financial Year 2024-25 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure.
He noted that the State Department for Medical Service’s total budgetary resource requirement for the FY2024/25 is Sh319.4 billion comprising of Sh87.9 billion in recurrent and Sh231.4 billion in development.
He said the 2024 Budget Policy Statement ceiling set resource allocation to the State Department for Medical Services at Sh121.9 billion of which Sh66.83 billion was for the recurrent budget and Sh55.1billion for development.
Kimtai further noted that the Annual Estimates 2024/25 has however proposed a resource allocation of Sh100 billion out of which Sh60.5 billion is recurrent and Sh39.5 billion is development.
He said the department is considering prioritisation of UHC in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
He said they intend to increase health insurance coverage for the poor and vulnerable groups, from the current 1.5 million households to 5.2 million households during the Fourth Medium Term Plan 2023-27 (MTP IV) period.
He added that they also intend to ensure that at least 10 million informal workers are covered under social health insurance.
Kimtai added that they intend to reduce by a third the premature mortality due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 2025, in line with the global target by equipping primary health facilities with essential health products and technologies.
He added that the department will enhance the provision of comprehensive rehabilitative services (orthopaedic technology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy) and assistive technology.
The PS further said the department will ensure commodity security for family health and strategic health programmes (malaria, family planning, HIV/AIDS)