Sweeping Changes Expected Under the New Health Policy by PETER MUTUKU the Central Government
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SPECIAL REPORT The NEW COMMISSION SET TO ADDRESS HISTORICAL LAND INJUSTICES — Pages 14 & 19 SUPPLEMENT Enhancing governance for all THE PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE Link PROJECT FUNDED BY THE EU JUNE 2012 Issue No. 092 Kshs 40/= — Pages 15 - 18 Sweeping changes expected under the new health policy By PETER MUTUKU the Central government. According to the policy, the National government’s HE management of the Health Sec- mandate includes developing national policy and leg- tor in Kenya is expected to change islation, setting standards, national reporting, supervi- sion, sector coordination and resource mobilization. Tdrastically if the proposals contained Under the devolved system, the Ministry of Health in the new policy document is to go by. is to offer technical support with emphasis on plan- Provision of health services under the devolved sys- ning, development and monitoring of health services tem of government policy document requires new insti- and delivery standards throughout the country. tutional and management strategies. The policy also requires the national government The Kenya Health Policy 2012 -2030 has listed a raft to monitor quality and standards of performance of the of proposals on the provision of healthcare in the two County Governments and community organizations levels of government that seek to enhance accountabil- in the provision of health services as well as provide ity, reporting and management. guidelines on tariffs to be charged by respective health The policy offers the devolved institutions opera- facilities. tional autonomy with efficient and cost-effective moni- The national government is also expected to di- toring, evaluation, reviewing and reporting systems. rectly support the establishment of institutions with The policy borrows heavily from the Constitution which assigns the larger portion of delivery of health services to the Counties and retains Referral Services to 8 Turn to Page 2, Col. 1 Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o, Medical Services minister. Medics call for review of archaic health laws By FAITH MUIRURI perpetuate inequality and increase women’s vul- registered in public hospitals. In Kenya an esti- Dr Nyunya underscores the need to re-exam- nerability and risk of maternal death. mated 308,000 abortions occur annually. ine and reinforce laws and policies on Sexual THE Kenya Medical Association (KMA) Dr Nyunya who is the Chairman, Kenya Ob- A study conducted in the slums of Nairobi and Reproductive Health Rights. has called for the repeal of archaic laws stetrical and Gynaecological Society cites the found that 50percent of women who died from He singles out the Reproductive Health which continue to derail efforts to address the penal code (section 158) which still hampers at- unsafe abortion did not seek care at a health fa- Policy which he says aims at eliminating all glaring maternal deaths resulting from unsafe tempts to arrest deaths arising from back street cility forms of discrimination against women and abortions in the country abortions that occur in unsafe and unsanitary Another study estimates that more than the girl child but does not address unsafe Dr. Boaz Otieno-Nyunya who is the con- conditions in the hands of quacks. 20,000 women are admitted each year to public abortion. venor of Reproductive Health Committee of He says that maternal deaths in the country hospitals for complications of incomplete and Dr Nyunya says that the population poli- the KMA says that although the Constitution remain unacceptably high with approximately unsafe abortion which costs the tax payer Ksh 18 cy on the other hand only affirms that all cou- explicitly specifies the minimum situations in 8,000 women dying every year from compli- million annually, in Post Abortion Care. ples have right to decide freely the number which abortion is permitted, the legal regime cations arising from pregnancy and child bear- The situation has been compounded by weak and spacing of their children. on abortion has largely been characterised by ing. Unsafe abortion accounts for 2,600 of these and uncoordinated approach to policy imple- The Penal code, he says legitimizes abor- restrictions and a lack of clarity on what the deaths. mentation and the low investment in reproduc- tion only in cases where the life of the woman law provides for. Studies indicate that nine women die on tive health. is at risk and according to FIDA could also be He says that it is unfortunate that the a daily basis as a result of an unsafe abortion. Speaking at the 40th Kenya Medical Asso- country still retains retrogressive laws which Adolescent girls represent four of the 10 deaths ciation Annual Scientific Conference in Nairobi, 8 Turn to Page 2, Col. 1 Govt to give free sanitary Group lobbies MPs to pass KNCHR wants sensual pads to needy girls crucial Aids Bill rights of minorities —Pg. 3 —Pg. 13 protected —Pg. 23 Good news to diabetic Health workers in bid to KNUT petitions IEBC to patients inside other stories curb maternal deaths —Pg. 8 change election date —Pg. 20 —Pg. 28 The Link, June 2012 2 GOVERNANCE Sweeping changes expected under the new health policy From page 1 Providers (HSPs) and finance County The department also has to invest constitutionally defined County health County. level Health services. in Public Health Facilities and devel- services through the network of health The team will also provide leader- capacity to provide healthcare at the County authorities will also be ex- op an investment plan to enable ful- facilities in the County. ship and stewardship for overall health county level during the transition pe- pected to maintain, enhance and regu- fillment of the highest attainable right In order to achieve that, the County management in the County, through riod which runs to 2017. late health service providers mainly in to health. The two governments will governments will be required under building linkages with, and putting in The Policy is also clear about the collaboration with the national Gov- also be required to document annual the policy to establish a County Health place influencing strategies for health functional assignments between the ernment, gazette regulations for com- progress as required by the Constitu- Management team whose responsi- related sector’s in the county, such as two levels of government with respect munity managed health supplies to be tion. bilities will be to coordinate strategic education, roads, gender, nutrition, to accountability, reporting and man- implemented at county level. They should also have a legal and operational planning, supervision, and others. agement. The policy provides for the The County Health Department framework for on-lending arrange- monitoring and review of health serv- This will help improve health serv- establishment of the County Health will also manage assets, channel pub- ments to facilitate loan repayments ice delivery in the county. ices and mobilize resources as well as Department to coordinate and manage lic and other funds to develop health and fees for use of assets by licensed. Apart from coordinating the deliv- coordinate the referral function across health services at the County Level. facilities and compile information at The policy directs that a profes- ery of health services in the County, the the level 3 facilities in the county, and Further, the County Health De- County level on implementation of sional and technical management team will also provide a linkage with between the different levels of the partment is to license and give accred- projects in order to document value structure be established at each County Executive and other actors to health system in line with the sector itation to Non State Health Service for money. county, to coordinate delivery of the facilitate health sector dialogue at the referral strategy. Medics call for review Mt Kenya University Kakamega branch of archaic health laws gets more students From page 1 extended to include cases where con- By TITUS MAERO no University. ception is as a result of rape or other The principal said most pro- sexual violation. THE Mt Kenya University’s grammes are charged Ksh60,000 Kenya Medical Practitioners & Kakamega Campus, which was per semester, which he said, was Dentists Board Guidelines on Termi- opened last year has received an in- low compared to what other uni- nation of Pregnancy on the other hand creased student enrollment of 446 versities are charging students in outlines that the laws of Kenya do not from 120. the country. allow for termination of pregnancy on The Campus Principal Dr The official said the campus tar- demand and severe penalties are met- Philemon Bureti said the institution gets to have at least 3,000 full time ed out to those found guilty of procur- has 320 school based students and and part time students in the next ing or attempting to procure an abor- 120 regular students, who are un- few years noting that the institution tion or miscarriage. There is room, dertaking various programmes. has received overwhelming appli- however, for carrying out termination Bureti said since the campus cations from school leavers who when in the opinion of attending doc- was moved from Kakamega Hill are interested in undertaking vari- tors it is necessary in the interest of the School compound to it’s new ous programmes. health of the mother or baby. premises at the Mega Mall in the Commenting on the current In these circumstances, it is Central Business District (CBD) physical infrastructure at the newly strongly advised that the practitioner this year, many other programmes acquired premises, Bureti said the consults with at least two senior and have been introduced. campus had taken the whole of experienced colleagues, obtains their He pointed out that currently the second floor at the Mega Mall, opinion in writing, and performs the which he said, has adequate space operation openly in hospital if he con- the campus is offering Masters siders himself competent to do so in Degree in Education and Masters to accommodate over 3,000 stu- Dr.