Dear Kenyans
CHOLERA – A FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE CONSTITUTION ON DEVOLUTION OF HEALTH
Imagine walking into a hotel to learn how to manage diseases of the chest so that you can help Kenyans ONLY to end up with a serious disease of the intestines because of a failed Kenyan Public Health System and politics.
Imagine no more. We have a few doctors in various hospitals with cholera from the conference attached.
Mismanaged Devolution of Health
I will not stop ranting about the mismanagement of the so called devolution of health.
Let me start by summarizing that:
THE SPIRIT AND LETTER OF DEVOLUTION OF HEALTH WAS SIMPLE:
- GOVERNORS (I.E. COUNTIES) TO MANAGE PUBLIC HEALTH thus eliminating 70% of the health problems
- NATIONAL GOVERNMENT to manage HEALTH WORKFORCE and CURATIVE SERVICES so that those who were not protected by preventive medicine would be treated.
What happened? The governors forced the executive to unconstitutionally devolve health despite two court cases and numerous health worker strikes in counties and at national level.
Cholera Outbreaks
We now have a cholera outbreak on doctors from Weston Hotel, the host hotel for the lung conference. A cholera outbreak is a breakdown of public health which the governors were suppose to be containing. A cholera outbreak is an indictment of poor health management by a county that is hell bent on punishing health workers by denying them their pay for over 6 months. An indictment on a county that has witnessed cholera outbreaks until they have termed cholera as ENDEMIC in Nairobi.
Recently we had cholera at a wedding in Karen. Prior to that a hotel very near Nairobi Hospital had cholera. We should be very very annoyed with our government, especially local governments that we can be having cholera in this day and age. The cholera lesson is that there are no social boundaries to disease. Disease hits the upper echleons of society even harder because they are not as immune as the lower echleons who have to deal with poor hygiene on a daily basis.
Food handlers in Nairobi are suppose to be tested and given a certificate at MBAGATHI HOSPITAL. MBAGATHI HOSPITAL lab has literally been closed for most of the year due to industrial action by health workers, initially doctors then nurses. Of course no testing will go on.
The health bill 2017 has now been quickly signed into law of course ignoring health workers input that was suppose to sort out some of these health problems we are in. There is no Health Service Commission. We expect more drama from the governors.
Health items in the last few years
As we head for the elections let us not forget what has defined the health sector over the past few years and I will summarize
- The latest is a CHOLERA OUTBREAK from Weston Hotel that has got doctors diarrhearing in various hospitals
- Ongoing is a NURSES STRIKE that has crippled public health facilities. Drs are advised NOT TO GET CHOLERA as there are no nurses at work.
- CHICANERY in CBA and RA negotiations. The governments seem hell bent at scuttling health negotiations. SRC is a very nice scapegoat
- The crippling DOCTORS STRIKE fighting for a 6 year old CBA
- Privatization of Health at the alter of public health
- A new education system sneaked in without MY involvement.
- Deliberate misinterpretation of the schedule 4 of the constitution on health devolution as explained above.
Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seat belt. Kenyans’ health is set for a bumpy ride.
What is the health agenda of the leader you want to elect?
As you elect your leaders please ask them what is in health for you. Please ask your governors to do their health work – PRIMARY HEALTH which takes care of PUBLIC HEALTH. Let them not chase FIF, KEMSA tenders, MES-LIKE schemes. Let them sort out public health.
Take the above as the health agenda and listen to the health workers.
