The proposed Nairobi County Finance Bill, which suggests increased fees for essential services, such as mortuary services, family planning and lab services, has raised concerns among residents.
While the Bill may aim to address certain budgetary needs, it's crucial to examine the potential grave and unintended consequences that these fee hikes could have on the well-being of Nairobi's citizens.
Access to healthcare to the general population is barred by costs that most persons are not able to meet. This is further worrying when uptake, access and provision of health services especially reproductive health is a challenge to the adolescents and young people owing to the cost factor on these services which should be affordable to the young people and in most cases should be provided for free to encourage access and uptake.
The proposal to introduce fees to costs like insertion of some family planning methods, post-abortion care are not only worrying but will risk the lives of young people who need these essential services.
The proposed cost for Post-Abortion Care package is at Sh3,000, while implant insertion and removal proposed to be Sh500. Within this hard economic times, these proposals should be shelved and never to be seen again.
One of the most significant concerns with increased fees for services like family planning and laboratory tests is that it may limit access to essential healthcare services. Higher costs could discourage residents from seeking necessary medical care, potentially leading to undiagnosed health issues and untreated conditions. The impact of these proposed costs will see reduced access to healthcare services.
Cases around adolescent and teenage pregnancies as well as deaths from unsafe abortion complications continue to spike not only in Nairobi but also in the country. Nairobi county has been one of the counties that reports very high cases of adolescent and teenage pregnancies owing to inaccessibility of information, services amongst other solutions. Putting a cost to very vital health services will be detrimental to the development of the young people and work force of this great county.
These proposed fees can disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including low-income families and individuals. For those struggling to make ends meet, even a slight increase in fees can create a barrier to accessing critical healthcare services and family planning, leading to unintended pregnancies and overburdened healthcare facilities.
These will hugely impact on the accessibility of services by the young people who continue to report negative health outcomes in HIV, pregnancies and even unsafe abortions.
Family planning plays a crucial role in public health by allowing individuals to make informed choices about their reproductive health. Any hindrance to affordable family planning services could result in an increase in unplanned pregnancies, placing additional strain on already overburdened healthcare systems. This will hugely weaken the public health system in Nairobi where there will be so many burden of cases to the system while access will be at zero.
While mortuary services may not be a daily necessity, they become essential during times of grief and loss. Higher mortuary fees can create an emotional and financial burden on grieving families, potentially leading to difficult decisions during already challenging times.
The proposed fee increases could erode trust in the government's commitment to providing affordable and accessible healthcare services. Residents may perceive these adjustments as prioritising budgetary needs over the well-being of the people.
Young people are in need of affordable and free services to be able to be comfortable in being part of the economic development process. These proposed fees erode the trust that we have in government.
The proposed Nairobi City County Finance Bill, while aiming to address budgetary needs, raises legitimate concerns about the potential grave consequences for Nairobi's residents. It is essential for policymakers to consider the broader impact of such fees on public health, access to essential services, and the well-being of vulnerable populations.
Striking a balance between budgetary requirements and the welfare of the people is crucial to ensure that the consequences of these critical aspects are not detrimental to the overall health and prosperity of Nairobi's citizens. Access to healthcare is a right of all Kenyans and the government should ensure that strategies are put to encourage uptake.
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