HEALTHCARE IS A RIGHT NOT BUSINESS

Its not news that healthcare has been mismanaged in this country. No one can blame healthcare workers because they have been at the fore front in lamenting and pointing this out. The blame squarely lies on the historical neglect and lethargic leadership we have had. The same that is being exhibited by the newly elected governors, the Senate Committee on Constitutional Implementation and Commission of Implementation of Constitution( CIC).

Health for a country that is developing and with a majority poor is never a source of revenue, its never for money minting but actually a great expenditure. No country has ever grown with an unhealthy population and poor people can never afford to buy proper health. They have no revenues. With poor Kenyans the governors are terribly mistaken in believing that they will raise money from the hospitals, its an ignorant way that will subject Kenyans to suffering and allow unnecessary deaths from home due to inaccessibility. The little allocation they receive from the central government cannot work.

Secondly the advancement in healthcare and the necessary equipments and tools of trade needed cannot be afforded by counties. CT scanner machines,MRI machines, New automated Chemistry analyzers, Highly Sensitive X-ray and Radiotherapy machines, ICU/HDU beds, proper and necessary cardiac machines cannot be availed by counties. This equipments go for billions of shillings when counties are allocating millions in budget for healthcare management.

Thirdly there is an acute shortage of human resource that cannot be handled by the counties. We still have 1 doctor for >100000 Kenyans against the standard of 1:10000, 1 nursing officer for >40000 Kenyans against against the standard of 1:4000. The work conditions and infrastructure are pathetic, the remuneration terrible, and the motivation at its lowest. Distribution of this workers has been pegged and determined by the national government. This means counties with low education and disadvantaged cannot(will not) attract any qualified health-worker.Its absurd to subject this sensitive sector to such a fate. This will be to the disadvantage of innocent and helpless Kenyans. Therefore before the country acquires adequate number of skilled workers, it is  not feasible/wise to decentralize human resource in this sector to the counties.

 Devolution is not synonymous with payment of salaries, but devolution is almost synonymous with empowerment. Allowing the counties to develop proper infrastructure and environment for health to strive. The handling and distribution of the scarce human resource should be left to the central government. This has to be done within the framework of the constitution. Its has to be a process that does not destabilize or bring disadvantage to the provision of services. That is the spirit of the constitution, it espouses improvement and provision of better services. Its not about paying salaries.Currently, there are no health laws in line with devolution, hospitals will go without even basic drugs, hospitals will lack recurrent expenditure because it is tied with county funds as a consolidated accounts.

CAN SOMEONE AWAKEN THE GOVERNORS, HEALTH IS NOT BUSINESS.