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Affordable healthcare: Ruto praises church for working with state

He spoke during the commissioning of the Cardio-thoracic centre at Tenwek Mission Hospital

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by CELINE MOKEIRA

News24 October 2024 - 16:40

In Summary


  • "We invite more public-private partnerships to boost investments in the development of healthcare infrastructure and the expansion of services," he said.
  • He said the National Government will review and scale down visa and work permit requirements for missionaries to ease their operations.


President William Ruto before the commissioning of the Cardio-thoracic centre at Tenwek Mission Hospital in Bomet County on October 24, 2024. (PHOTO: PCS)


President William Ruto has commended religious organisations for working with the national government to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to Kenyans over the years.

The President spoke during the commissioning of the Cardio-thoracic centre at Tenwek Mission Hospital in Bomet County.

The facility was put up with funding from the African Gospel Church, World Gospel Mission (WGM) and Samaritan's Purse.

"We invite more public-private partnerships to boost investments in the development of healthcare infrastructure and the expansion of services," he said.

He said the National Government will review and scale down visa and work permit requirements for missionaries to ease their operations.

Present at the function were Edward Graham, Samaritan Purse's chief operations officer, WGM president Dan Schafer and Tenwek Mission Hospital board of directors chairman the Rev Robert Lang'at.

Others were Cabinet Secretaries Debra Barasa of Health and Davis Chirchir (Roads and Transport), Governors Hillary Barchok of Bomet) and Joseph ole Lenku (Kajiado), MPs and other leaders.

At the same time, the President urged Kenyans to continue registering with the Social Health Authority, saying they would enjoy more healthcare benefits than they did under the defunct National Health Insurance Fund.

"Primary healthcare is now free at all dispensaries and health centres, as well as selected hospitals, while ambulance and emergency services are available nationwide free of charge," he said.

Further, he said more than 13 million Kenyans have registered under SHA in the past month, and expressed confidence that migration from NHIF would be completed in the next three months.

The 176-bed facility contains a surgical and training unit designed for both outpatients and inpatients.

It has 52 intensive care units, post-anaesthesia units, six major operating theatres, cauterization suits, five endoscopy rooms and an outpatient clinic.

It also has examination rooms, a pharmacy, a lab, a blood bank, CT and X-ray machines, six cardiothoracic theatres, a preoperative holding area, and a 32-bed post-anaesthesia care centre.

The facility is designed to conduct 2,000 major heart and chest surgeries in addition to performing thousands of endoscopies and cauterisations.






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