CoG calls for formulation of appropriate health policies and legislation

The Council of Governors Health Committee is calling on the National government to support the harmonious formulation of appropriate policies and legislation.

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and Vice Chairperson Health Committee said this will help avoid retrogressive laws that will wash away devolution gains.

She said that health service delivery being the largest of the devolved functions, counties have an immense responsibility which requires wide consultations, participation and accountability to deliver.

She spoke at a Garissa hotel during the opening of a two-day health quarterly consultative meeting which was attended by Health executives from the 47 counties, representatives from the Ministry of Health, stakeholders and partners.

“I do hope our discussions on health laws and policies will provide further insights towards this end. I also request the National Government to meaningfully involve the COG when developing these laws and policies,” she said.

She added:

“It is my hope that this meeting will unlock bottlenecks that County Governments have been grappling with in regards to health service delivery, but also work as a platform for cross-country learning and sharing of lessons, insights and best practices between counties."

She said that even though devolution has greatly improved access to health services at all levels, there were still challenges that need to be addressed going forward.

“It is especially exciting to say this here in Garissa since the centralized model that preceded devolution had largely under-invested in this region. From increased investments in health infrastructure, recruitment of healthcare workers and improved implementation of targeted interventions,” she said.

Many County Governments continue to struggle with limited resources to develop and provide quality health services to the citizens as well as across other sectors.

Furthermore, there has been recurrent health workforce industrial unrest, affecting both the national and county governments and the worst of it is the increased appetite.

These, she noted, are just a few of the many challenges that the counties are currently facing.

She called on participants to be bold enough to isolate the bottlenecks and identify interventions that truly address the root causes even as they evaluate the progress made in counties.

This she noted was the only way to remain responsive to the population's ever-increasing demand for accountable governance.

On his part, Garissa Governor Nathif Jama said that given the evolving issues in the country, it is important to reflect on the successes achieved through devolution and address emerging matters within the health sector.

Jama who is also a member of the CoG health committee said devolution has facilitated the establishment of new healthcare facilities, particularly in underserved rural areas, thereby enhancing the accessibility of maternal and child health services and reducing travel distances for women and children seeking care.

He said the county governments have invested in upgrading healthcare facilities, procuring essential medical equipment, and enhancing the ills of healthcare workers through targeted training programs.

These investments have led to significant improvements in the quality of maternal and child health services.