MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ARE HIGHLY REGARDED OUT THERE
Kenya Medical Association members have attended medical association meetings in several countries. I have noted that in majority of these countries the input from the medical associations is considered so important that the government participates in the national medical associations at the highest level. In some of The Association meetings the President of the country addresses the association meetings.
President of Finland at WMA meeting hosted by Finnish Medical Association
This was the case at the World Medical Association (WMA) meeting where the Finnish Medical Association (FMA) invited the President of Finland to the WMA General Assembly, and he came. During the gala dinner the CEO of FMA made a joke of how he managed to get the President of Finland to attend the WMA General Assembly.
“Do you know how I got the President of Finland to come to the meeting” He asked us at the Gala Dinner.
“I asked!” He answered, and we all had a hearty laugh.
As funny as that sounds it denotes the importance that the government views the medical association and works closely with it to achieve the highest quality of care for its citizens. And that is the way it should be.
Zambia Medical Association conferences
Over the last three years KMA has attended the Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) meetings Annual Scientific Conferences and AGMs. On all occasions the government has sent the highest level of government to the meetings. On all occasions the Ministers of Health have attended and in one the President of the Republic of Zambia has graced the occasion and the KMA Secretary General managed to get a selfie with him. That is how important the country views its relationship with the medical association.
Curative healthcare and professionals
Why is it important for government to associate directly with medical associations? The relationship between governance and health is brought out in the need to address the social determinants of health. Governments keep saying that they are now focussing on prevention of disease. Often these are statements that are an excuse for not funding curative healthcare. Curative healthcare is indeed a core component of preventive healthcare. But curative healthcare is a domain of the healthcare professionals.
Governments and Social Determinants of Health in
All in all, Social determinants of health (SDH) are the non-medical factors that affect health outcomes. These factors include the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age. SDH can influence health inequities, which are unfair and avoidable differences in health status. Finland has gone a long way in addressing these SDHs, a lesson that Kenya can learn from.
Back to Finland
Culture maintenance
From the City tour one can easily discern that the Finns are very proud of their history, poets and architects. Monuments have been put up of famous poets & singers.
City Planning – In built health
In Finland health is inbuilt in city planning. Most impressive though is the transport system. I think that Helsinki is an extremely well thought out town utilizing the road space to accommodate literally all forms of transport in one space. The same road is used for tram, vehicles, and human movements either by foot or bicycle. The walking persons has their space. The bicycles have a lane. Cars and buses have their lane. Most impressive though is that the trams utilize the same road as the vehicles. Tram trucks are etched very nicely on the road. To maintain law & order the traffic lights work like clockwork. If the traffic light is red, no one moves. Even when there is apparently no vehicle pedestrians stop when the no crossing light is red. This is a contrast that with Nairobi, Kenya where there are huge pavements on the roadsides that can damage car wheels.
Mass transport, Tram
The trams provide predictable intra-city transport. Payments is made into the HSL App that covers the public transport system that includes buses and trains. Physical tickets can also be literally bought at the supermarket too. Before entering the tram or train or bus one is supposed to have bought a ticket. I had the pleasure of having a 3-day ticket from the supermarket near my hotel. On entering the tram, if one has a physical ticket, one is supposed to tap it on the machine at the door. Trust is a key element of the Finnish society. No one will come to ask you if you have paid for the tram. Trust is a key component of a well-functioning society. This though is a biproduct of education and availability pf functional social services like health and work. Mass transport is a positive way to combat global warming. This has a direct effect on health of the population. Over and above the trams, buses and trains also provide alternative transport within and without Helsinki. The buses are electric. A train ride to the airport is possible. For individual transport the taxi hailing apps of Uber & Bolt also operate in Helsinki. From Helsinki you can sail to Talin in Estonia via the Gulf of Finland and to Stockholm in Sweden via the Baltic Sea.
Automation
Many of the mundane repetitive tasks are automated in Helsinki. At the Noli Katanashokka 2 hotel that I stayed at, it was possible to book, pay, stay and leave without the need of meeting anyone claiming to be a manager. At the supermarkets and many shopping areas, you can pick what you want to purchase and pay without meeting a cashier. This would be very scary in the Kenyan context because we’d have very many unemployed persons.
Waste management
The separation of waste is notable. At different locations you do not just leave items littered all over. You take them to a designated waste disposal place.
Kenyan Tea
But one big lesson in my week’s stay in Helsinki is that KENYAN TEA IS THE BEST. The tea out there cannot match the ‘chai’ of Kenya.
The big lesson from Helsinki is to approach healthcare wholistically ensuring that the social determinants of health are addressed in the context of the big picture. Sorting out transport with the pedestrians in mind is a step towards achieving great healthcare. We must allow people to walk and ride bicycles safely in our towns.
